CIRCULAR NO. 26/84 /2011/1 8th February, 2011
TO ALL UNITS & MEMBERS :-
Dear Comrades,
| 14th February, 2011 | 30th Anniversary of AIBOA |
Even though AIBEA has come to represent the Workman Employees in the Banking industry, its vision and understanding have always encompassed the officers working in the Banks. In fact the first General Secretary of AIBEA, Com. Ramesh Chakraborti was himself an officer in the Bank. Even after promotion to officer cadre, many of them continued in our unions and have even been leading our unions from the front. We had the classical example in Com. P.K. Menon who was an officer in Bank of Baroda but yet was the most popular General Secretary of Maharashtra State Bank Employees’ Federation – the largest unit of AIBEA. There were many others like Com. B.K.Porwal and Com. A. Sundara Rao who were Office Bearers of AIBEA. Thus officers were playing a significant role in our trade union and were always an integral part of our movement.
However, after nationalisation of Banks and with the rapid expansion of banking industry, the strength of officers also increased. The need for a strong and exclusive trade union organisation for officers with proper orientation became the need. The introduction of uniform service conditions under the Pillai Committee Report and the anomalies therein compounded the need into necessity. The betrayal by the then AICOBOO in fighting back the attacks compelled the need into urgency for an effective trade union for the bank officers.
In this background, on 14th February, 1981, at the initiative of AIBEA, our sister organisation AIBOA was born. AIBEA and AIBOA were envisioned to be two sides of the same coin sharing common perceptions and trade union philosophy. AIBEA and AIBOA were aimed to be developed with common perspectives and convictions. AIBEA and AIBOA were strategised to function together mutually supplementing and complementing each other in the process to strengthen the composite movement of employees and officers in the Banks to face the challenges together with a unique bondage of fraternity. Hence to mark this inseparable bond of unity, ‘AIBEA’ was distinctly inscribed in the symbol of AIBOA itself.
AIBOA has travelled a long distance in the last three decades. Despite its limitations and constraints, the twin banner of AIBEA & AIBOA has come to inspire the rank and file. Notwithstanding the machinations of the managements and adversaries, AIBOA has grown in its own way and is today the second largest trade union for the bank officers community.
The first ever jointly documented industry-level wage revision for bank officers is a great contribution of AIBOA. In AIBEA’s struggle for Pension Scheme, AIBOA stood shoulder to shoulder and played a significant role. When many others were found to be vacillating and oscillating AIBOA had the far-sighted vision that securing pension scheme is in the interest of all the employees and officers . In many of the struggles of AIBEA - in defence of our rights, in defence of Public Sector and in fighting back the banking sector reforms - AIBOA has moved along with AIBEA. This unity and bondage has to be further cemented and carried forward.
Today the challenges are multiple – attempts to privatise the ownership of banks, privatise banking policies, privatise banking jobs. There are attempts to outsource the normal banking functions. There are attempts to issue licenses to industrial and corporate houses to start Banks. There are attempts to hand over RRBs to private sector. There are attempts to foist anti-employee recommendations of Khandelwal Committee. Hence the present situation and emerging challenges warrant intensified struggles with greater unity and cohesion. The unity under the twin banner of AIBEA and AIBOA is the right model that will provide an effective platform to the employees and officers to fight unitedly against all attacks.
On the happy occasion of the 30th Anniversary of AIBOA, we greet AIBOA and wish them more success in their endeavours. Let us take a pledge that we shall dedicate this year 2011 with exclusive focus to strengthen the orientation and philosophy of twin banner efficacy. Let us do everything possible to strengthen AIBOA in every Bank. Let us take all initiatives to ensure greater understanding and working together.
- A strong AIBOA implies a stronger AIBEA because it is our complementary battalion.
| MAKE 2011 | YEAR OF UNITY & COHESION UNDER THE BANNERS OF AIBEA & AIBOA |
With greetings,
Yours Comradely,
C.H.VENKATACHALAM
GENERAL SECRETARY