75TH FOUNDING DAY OF AIBEA: LOOKING BACK AND LOOKING AHEAD

ADDRESSING HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS OF INDIAN BANK EMPLOYESS
April 20 is a special for all of us in the All India Bank Employees Association, or AIBEA. It was on this sacred day, 74 years ago, in 1946, that our beloved AIBEA was founded. From a small, tiny bush, today AIBEA has grown into a mighty, strong, assertive, accredited and reputed national trade union organisation. Today, AIBEA is the largest trade union of bank employees both in India and in the entire world.

Today we have the proud privilege of representing nearly half a million bank employees working all over the country in every nook and corner in more than 100,000 branches — from big metropolitan cities to the remote rural villages — employed in public sector banks, private sector banks, foreign banks, regional rural banks, co-operative banks and as daily deposit collectors, jewel appraisers, bank mitras/business correspondents, cost to company employees, outsourced and contract employees, temporary and casual employees.

The founding of the AIBEA was not merely out of the need for a strong trade union for promoting the interests of the bank employees but was born out of a deeper conviction and the larger vision.

Today when we look back, we feel proud that our movement has been so assiduously treading the path laid by the founding fathers. We have been on the right path and on the right track — in advancing the interests of the bank employees, in improving their wages and service conditions, in preserving and promoting the broad-based unity of the bank employees, in fighting to defend public sector banking, in our slogans, in our campaigns, in our demands, in our struggles and in our achievements.

Today when we look back, we feel proud that AIBEA has transformed the lives and living conditions of bank employees in our country. From virtual slavery and anarchy in those days, today bank employees have a dignified status and enjoy settled serviced conditions. From paltry wages and pitiable service conditions, we have fought inch by inch and achieved awards and settlements to improve the salaries and benefits. We are now happy that we are in the final leg to clinch another settlement — the 11th Industry-level Bipartite Settlement.
Today when we look back, we feel proud that from a situation where hire and fire was the order of the day and bank workers were at the whims and fancies of the managements, when job security was absent, we have fought back all these oppressive conditions and AIBEA has achieved job security for the bank employees.

Today when we look back, we feel proud that as against those years when employees had nothing to fall back to continue a decent living after their retirement, AIBEA has achieved Pension for the bank employees to ensure a better and secured life after retirement. We are happy that even all those who opposed pension scheme then are now covered same pension scheme under the 2nd Option achieved by us. We are happy that by our relentless efforts, we were been able to achieve another option for more than three lakhs employees, officers and retirees to join this unique pension scheme.
Today, when we look back, we feel proud that AIBEA had played a crusading and pioneering role in fighting for the nationalisation of banks. It is only after nationalisation that banks have gone to the masses. In the last five decades, nationalised banks have done a yeomen job for the economic development of our country – in mobilizing the savings of the people and reaching out to the credit needs of the people.

India needs a stronger and vibrant public sector banking and AIBEA stands for the same. In the days to come we must build up further extensive campaigns and programmes to focus our demands – People’s money for people’s welfare and national savings for national development and not for private corporate loot. 20th April is an occasion to renew our pledge to fight for strong public sector banking.

Today when we look back, we feel proud that our campaign and struggles in the recent years against privatisation stand vindicated due to the developments in the banking scenario the world over. Everyone admits today that Indian banking has been saved from the crisis because our banks are in public sector. Even the high priests who advocated privatisation of banks had to bail out many doomed private banks with government intervention and public money in their country! Recently we have seen how YES Bank had to be bailed out by public sector, SBI.

Today when we look back, we feel proud that we fought back with all our strength against the anti-people banking reforms in our country — privatisation, consolidation and foreignisation of our banks. We are happy that with our consistent and persistent struggles and strike actions, we have been able to thwart their attempts so far. But we know that these attacks and attempts will continue. Hence 20th April is an occasion to re-commit ourselves to continue our struggles in the days to come to defend public sector banking.

Today when we look back, we feel proud that we have always remained an integral part of the general working class. We have never allowed ourselves to be isolated from the mainstream struggles of the general trade union movement. We realise that the government continues to be anti-worker and anti-labour. We realise that we have to stand together with other sections of the working people in the larger interest of trade unions and our hard-won trade union rights. We should stick to this commitment.

Today when we look back, we feel proud that all that we have been able to achieve have been due to the sagacious and visionary leadership that we have been bestowed with all these years. It is because of them that AIBEA continues to be respected as a responsive and responsible trade union organisation. It is their sacrifices, their vision, their foresight, their prudence, their wisdom, their prescience that has taken our movement in the right direction. April 20th is an occasion to remember our great leaders with gratitude and reverence.

Today, when we look back, we feel proud that AIBEA signifies the unity of bank employees, AIBEA manifests the struggles of the bank employees, AIBEA symbolises the hopes and aspirations of the bank employees.

We are proud to be members of this organisation AIBEA. On this solemn occasion, let us take a pledge to march on towards a better future — for our country, for our people, for our banking industry and ofcourse for all of us.

Founding Day Greetings to All of You!

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