AIBEA entering 77

Dear Comrades, Friends,

AIBEA entering 77

Let us further strengthen struggles for social emancipation and economic transformation

On this proud moment of our dear organisation AIBEA entering into the seventy-seventh year of its onward movement with all glory and vibrant vision, hearty greetings to all our Comrades.

Today April 20 when we celebrate this joyous occasion of the oldest and largest trade union of Bank Employees in the country with profound pride, we remember with great gratitude, all our forebearers and forerunners, our Leaders and Cadres of the past, who through their dedication and determination built, nourished and strengthened our movement AIBEA.

Red Salutes, Revolutionary Greetings to all our Leaders and Cadres, past and present.

Our dear organisation AIBEA founded on 20th April 1946 moved ahead with clarity in regard to its aims and objectives, path and perspectives; embracing the entire Bank Employees transcending all barriers. To overcome and put an end to exploitation and injustice of Bank Workers, for creating a safe and secured employment, decent working conditions and wage system, AIBEA followed the path of incessant organisational struggles apart from legal battles. Aligning with the progressive Working-class and People’s movements and civil society, understanding Workers’ and People’s issues and reacting thereon, AIBEA travelled ahead. AIBEA’s transformative struggles in the workplace and streets also had their echo in the Parliament with the then General Secretary Com. Prabhat Kar elected by the People to the Lok Sabha for two consecutive terms voicing the cause of the Workers and People, country’s Banking needs and system in the highest policy-making forum. India’s state-owned and dominant banking system, mass-banking-policies and industry-wide, bilaterally negotiated, signed and settled uniform wages and service conditions ensuring income-employment-representation-social securities are all the results of the struggles of the last century undertaken by the AIBEA warriors.

In enabling Public Sector Banks in serving the productive sectors of the economy, in serving the financial needs of households and businesses, AIBEA with its visionary, vibrant and vigilant interventions and the services of Workforce under AIBEA in the Bank counters country-wide are matchless. AIBEA-affiliated Unions in Public Sector-Private-Foreign-Cooperative-Regional Rural Banks are playing a constructive role. Campaigns for mass banking practices, for the health of the banking system, against bad debts and loan-write-offs, against outsourcing, for recruitment, against unwarranted mergers, for the sustenance of state ownership, management-control and policy-guidance and against privatisation have been part of the AIBEA journey of struggles. During the recent times also, the relevance of the views and vision of the AIBEA has been proven in the implementation of financial inclusion projects of the present Government with the PSBs owned and controlled by it playing a stellar role.

When we celebrate the 77th Founding Day of AIBEA on 20th April, 2022, we all fully comprehend and understand the emerging threats and challenges to the country’s banking system and work-environment. While Government is toying with the idea of privatisation of PSBs, the policy-makers in the NITI Ayog are reportedly busy with redrawing HR policies with cost-cutting and curtailment of rights of the Employees as its core for satisfying the needs of the prospective private corporates buyers. These and such many challenges have to be dealt with and overcome, for which further campaigns and struggles with country-wide support of the People and Mass and Class Organisations have to be carried out.

AIBEA was born in the midst of trials and tribulations faced by the Bank Employees and their struggles for survival. AIBEA grew thanks to the commitment and militancy of comrades, not on account of any Government/ Management-back up. AIBEA moved among the masses; along with working class movements, it did not confine itself to the walls of the workplace alone. AIBEA challenged the policies of the Government if that were not in the interests of the People. AIBEA countered the policies and practices of the Bank Management if that were anti-People, anti-Customer and anti-Employee as AIBEA is committed to People’s cause. AIBEA did not remain mute before the Management as it is not sponsored by any Management. With such a class orientation, democratic participation and militancy, AIBEA will march on for the well-being of the People and welfare of the workers.

On this great occasion, we all from AISBIEA holding aloft the flag of AIBEA in country’s largest Bank, State Bank of India, along with thousands and thousands of AIBEA Comrades from all other Banks rededicate ourselves for our dear organisation, for the cause of all Working People and Masses.

With Warm Greetings,

K S KRISHNA