CIRCULAR NO. 26/88/2011/5 14th April, 2011
TO ALL UNITS :-
Dear Comrades,
66th Founding Day of AIBEA
Yes, 65 years of a great journey is getting completed on 20th April, 2011. Our beloved AIBEA is entering its 66th year of glorious existence.
When we look back, it looks like a simple story but when you recall the events, anyone would realize the inspiring history believed this 5 magical letters – AIBEA. Founded as a tiny bush but with great vision, our organisation has lived up to the expectations of the founding fathers and has today grown into a mighty organisation with international acclamation and reputation.
Those were the days when bank employees were virtual slaves of the management and suffered with very poor wages and lack of proper service conditions, what to talk of job security. Recruitments were based on nepotism and favouritism and hire and fire was the order of the day. There was neither guarantee for a peaceful retirement nor there was any retirement benefits. It was sheer anarchy and exploitation.
To end this atrocity and anachronism, AIBEA was born on 20.4.1946. The revolt that was raised and the journey that began continue till day. It is a matter of pride that in the last 65 years, with unity and through struggles, AIBEA has transformed the lives and living conditions of bank employees.
A successive collectively bargained and industry-wise Bipartite Settlements have resulted in substantial improvements in our wages and service conditions.
Pay scales including stagnation increments Sub staff Clerk | |||
1st BPS | 1966 | Rs. 92 – 145 | Rs. 154 – 460 |
2nd BPS | 1970 | Rs. 116 – 200 | Rs. 170 – 550 |
3rd BPS | 1979 | Rs. 245 – 455 | Rs. 325 – 440 |
4th BPS | 1984 | Rs. 430 – 850 | Rs. 520 – 1850 |
5th BPS | 1989 | Rs. 815 – 1670 | Rs. 900 – 3220 |
6th BPS | 1995 | Rs. 1600 – 3420 | Rs. 1750 – 6420 |
7th BPS | 2000 | Rs. 2750 – 5850 | Rs. 3020 – 10880 |
8th BPS | 2005 | Rs. 4060 – 9180 | Rs. 4410 – 16570 |
9th BPS | 2010 | Rs. 5850 – 14150 | Rs. 7200 – 24900 |
The unique settlement on Pension achieved in 1993 under the visionary leadership of Com. Tarakeswar Chakraborti ensured safe and secured post retirement life. To add glory this has been the settlement of 27-04-2010 which has brought 100% of employees and officers under this social security scheme.
But today we find that there is increasing attack on all that we have achieved in the last 6 decades – attacks on jobs and job security, attacks on collective bargaining, attacks on uniform wages, attacks on retirement benefits, etc. Permanent jobs are sought to be made contract jobs, in-house jobs are sought to outsourced, they do not want continuation of industry level bipartite settlement, they want incentive based variable pay, etc. Khandelwal committee recommendations seek to demolish in one stroke all that have been achieved by bank employees movement by our unity and struggles.
In the banking industry, AIBEA by its struggle had brought in a great transformation. AIBEA fought for nationalization of banks and this has changed class banking to mass banking. Today banking services have become accessible to millions of common people. Sectors neglected earlier have now become priority sectors. Public sector banks have changed the profile of Indian economy. Public sector banks have become the engine to take our country’s economy forward. They have mobilised the huge precious savings of the people. They have made banking credit available to the needy segments.
But when we celebrate AIBEA’s 66th Founding Day, we can observe the naked attempts of the Government to reverse the clock – attempts to privatise, efforts to reduce the Government’s equity in PSBs, eagerness to allow more FDI in banking sector, handing over retail and rural lending to private contract agencies, etc.
Thus, while the Founding Day is a joyous occasion to look back to our glorious history of great struggles and achievements, it is equally an important occasion to anticipate the emerging challenges and attacks and prepare ourselves for facing them with conviction and determination.
Let us take a pledge on this solemn occasion to move forward to greater glory and achievements through unity and struggles. Let us pay homage to the pioneering leaders who had built up this great organisation by their life-long sacrifices.
FORWARD FOREVER – BACKWARD NEVER
PROGRAMMES:
Ø Mass meetings
Ø Decoration of union offices
Ø Social identification programmes
Ø Hoisting AIBEA flag in front of union buildings.
Dear comrades, we once again convey our hearty greetings to all our unions, leaders and entire membership.
With Greetings,
Yours Comradely
C H VENKATACHALAM
GENERAL SECRETARY.