Dear Comrades,
76th Founding Day of AIBEA FORWARD FOREVER – BACKWARD NEVER
Yes, 75 years of a great journey is getting completed today and tomorrow, on 20th April, 2021 our beloved AIBEA is entering its 76th 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 behind 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 national recognition and international acclamation.
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 rebellion that was raised and the journey that began continue till day. It is a matter of pride that in the last 75 years, with unity of bank employees and through sustained 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
Sastry Award
1953
Rs.40- 72
Rs. 85 – 280
Desai Award
1962
Rs.86- 112
Rs. 86 – 405
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 – 1,850
5th BPS
1989
Rs. 815 – 1,670
Rs. 900 – 3,220
6th BPS
1995
Rs. 1,600 – 3420
Rs. 1,750 – 6,420
7th BPS
2000
Rs. 2,750 – 5850
Rs. 3,020 – 10,880
8th BPS
2005
Rs. 4,060 – 9180
Rs. 4,410 – 16,570
9th BPS
2010
Rs. 5,850 – 14150
Rs. 7,200 – 24,900
10th BPS
2015
Rs. 9,560 – 23785
Rs. 11,765 – 42,020
11th BPS
2020
Rs. 14,500 -37,145
Rs. 17,800 – 65,830
The unique settlement on Pension achieved in 1993 under the visionary leadership of Com. Tarakeswar Chakraborti ensured safe and secured post retirement life. We need to achieve this social security cover for the post-2010 employees also.
But today we find that there is increasing attack on all that we have achieved in the last 7 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, etc. Recommendations of various Committees 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 76th Founding Day, we can observe the naked attempts of the Government to reverse the clock – attempts to privatise the Banks, 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, more and more concessions to corporate defaulters, 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
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