Com. T.K.V. Nair(Former Vice President, AIBEA) (Former General Secretary, AKBEF) ( 7-4-1924 – 9-1-1982 )On his Death Anniversary
Born on 7.4.1924, Com. T.K.V. Nair, affectionately called as “Annan” (elder brother) joined the Travancore Forward Bank Ltd. on 1.10.1945. He dedicated his entire life for building up a strong trade union movement in the banking industry in Kerala under the banner of AIBEA at the age of 58 after a massive heart attack which developed earlier at Nagercoil where he had been to attend to some urgent union work. With unbearable pain, he was brought to Trivandrum and despite best medical attention, he died at 8 p.m. on that day.
After passing the matriculation examination, Com. T.K.V. Nair joined the erstwhile Travancore Forward Bank Ltd. as a Typist on 1.10.1945. He was aghast to find the barbaric and brutal treatment being meted out to the employees not only in his bank, but in other banks as well, around that time. In a talk, he had said that no one could go out till 10 p.m. in the night on all the days of the week except on Sundays. Moreover, on Sundays also, Com. T.K.V. Nair noted that the managers would instruct everyone to come to the banks for completing the work and if any one did not turn up, they would be physically brought from their houses by some Goondas whom the Manager would send. He also observed the humiliating practice in Kerala of sub-ordinate staff falling down on the ground and performing Namaskaram to the Branch Manager and all the clerks standing up in the bank hall and working whenever the Branch Manager came out of his cabin. In his young mind, a determination arose that come what may he should find out some ways and means to eradicate the exploitation to which his colleagues were subjected to.
He came in contact with a social worker by name Shri Jibba Ramakrishsnan Pillai who around that time was organizing the scavengers of Trivandrum and fighting for a better life for them. Another comrade who was immediately attracted by him was Shri K. Damodharan Nair of Travancore Bank Ltd. with whom Com. T.K.V. Nair developed an abiding, deep and sustaining friendship. Both these comrades influenced Com. T.K.V. Nair very much in his trade union way of life which he voluntarily chose to lead.
Com. T.K.V. Nair always used to say that his commitment to the philosophy of communism and socialism was the main motivating factor that enabled him to carry on his trade union work with zeal and clarity.
In Kerala, in those days, around 145 family-owned banks were operating. Due to mismanagement and fraudulent practices, one by one these banks used to disappear or go under moratorium or occasionally get merged with some other banks. At that time, there was no job security for the employees and they were simply thrown out.
It was this that prompted Com. T.K.V. Nair to find out some means to secure job security. As advised by Shri Jibba Ramakrishnan Pillai, around the year 1950, a trade union of unitary type was formed, known as South Travancore Bank Employees Union into which employees from various banks were recruited. This was mainly to prevent individual bank managements playing mischief like forming rival unions or harassing the employees.
In those early days, Com. K. Surendranath, a well-known communist worker and an MP helped very much. He actually advised Com T.K.V. Nair of various steps to be taken to form trade unions. Almost every night in those days, facing financial hardship, Com. T.K.V. Nair used to travel extensively by bus in Travancore State areas, meet bank employees and organize them.
In 1951, when the Sen Award was nullified and some of the big banks with branches outside the State reverted back to pre-Sen service conditions, employees became angry.
An All India strike action was launched by AIBEA on 23.9.1954 which evoked tremendous enthusiasm and very good observance. Many comrades like Com. Vincent Thomas, Com. N.P. Jose, Com. Sridharan, Com. P. Narayan Nair, Com. N.J. Anthony, Com. Parameswaran Menon and others emerged as leaders along with Com. T.K.V. When T.K.V. Nair himself was transferred from Trivandrum to Kottayam, it was strongly resisted and thousands of bank employees from various banks continuously demonstrated. The bank was simply not allowed to conduct any transactions. In the end the management cancelled the transfer order. This victory gave a great fillip to the movement in Kerala.
After this, he was able to form number of unions in various banks, but always job insecurity in hundreds of small banks haunted everybody.
Com. T.K.V. Nair, on behalf of AIBEA, appeared before the Sastry, LAT and Desai Tribunals. He was always advocating his views on the applicability of the various awards and the difficulties the employees were facing in many banks. Around that time, Justice Gajendragadkar in his award made a very helpful reference regarding the problem in Kerala. As a result, Shri Ramunni Menon Commission came and Com. T.K.V. Nair along with his colleagues collected massive data and material for presenting to the Commission.
As a sequel to the recommendations of the Commission, the Government constituted Shri P.N. Koshy commission with representatives of both the banks and the unions also participating. Com. T.K.V. Nair was a member of the Commission representing the employees. Com. Prabhat Kar came down from Calcutta and assisted very much in the Commission work. As a result of the work and recommendations of the Commission, pay scales for all one State Banks eventually emerged. Thus merger of many small banks also resulted.
In the year 1961, Palai Central Bank crashed. This created an unusual sense of shock and panic. Job security of all the employees was lost. Under the leadership of Com. T.K.V. Nair, the issue of rules and regulations for amalgamations and mergers was taken up with the Reserve Bank of India and later with the Government of India. Persistent work in this connection produced dividends. In 1961, the government issued a Notification incorporating a rule in amalgamation scheme fully guaranteeing not only job security but same service conditions from the transferer banks to the transferee banks. At one stroke, from managers to messengers in scores of small banks, the right of job security and equality of treatment was secured.
The image of Com. T.K.V. Nair went to Himalayan heights. The organization, namely, the State body of AIBEA in Kerala became overnight a highly respectable and acceptable organization. It was around this time, comrades from various banks began calling Com. T.K.V. Nair as their own brother or Annan.
With this achievement, Com. T.K.V. Nair also had the unique distinction of serving as a member of the committee constituted by the State Government to decide the wages and service conditions of the employees in all the District Central Co-operative Banks in Kerala.
This victory of job security and equality of treatment in service conditions consolidated the All Kerala Bank Employees Federation. It enabled the spread of our movement in Malabar region. It gave the organization a sense of conviction and confidence with which a couple of years later in 1964. Com. T.K.V. Nair invited the AIBEA to hold its 13th Conference at Trivandrum. The conference was a grand success and for the first time, bank employees outside Kerala were able to understand and appreciate the development of our movement in Kerala.
Com. T.K.V. Nair has been instrumental in signing numerous agreements on bank-wise basis within Kerala in several banks. He also developed deliberately the State Federation as a unitary organisaton with federal character. This dual way of functioning has cemented once for all the bond and unity amongst all bank employees in all the districts in the State.
As a member of the negotiating team at the industry level from 1966 onwards Com. T.K.V. Nair was associated with all the bipartite settlements until his death in 1982. At the national level, he was elected as Assistant Secretary in the conferences of AIBEA held in 1964, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1973 and 1976. In 1980, at the Allahabad Conference, he was elected as Vice President which position he held till he passed away.
Com. T.K.V. Nair was also one of the founding fathers of State Sector Bank Employees Association (SSBEA) which had its inception in 1966. It was he who along with Com. Prabhat Kar and Com. H.L. Parvana argued in the Central Committee of AIBEA about the need to form another All India Organisation for all the union‟s in the Associate Banks so that the common employer, namely, SBI, could be faced, properly tackled and service conditions improved. In the Second Conference of SSBEA in 1973, he was elected as General Secretary and held this position till 1981 when he became the Vice Chairman.
On behalf of AIBEA he had visited the U.S.S.R. and other countries.
State Bank of Travancore Employees Union, its gigantic stature in Kerala State, its organizational advances and its role in developing our movement in that State are all, monumental evidences of the services rendered by Com. T.K.V. Nair for that organization. From the beginning, he was either the President or the General Secretary of the SBT Employees Union. He was also the first Workman Director of the Bank‟s Board.
But the greatest service he has ever rendered was the idea he conceived about building an auditorium and offices in the heart of the city of Trivandrum on behalf of the SBT Employees Union. Along with other colleagues, he worked hard, collected donations from the members, planned the entire project and completed the same during his life time. Today this great trade union edifice stands in all its majesty and glory, utilized almost every day by various trade unions and other organisations to hold their meetings and conferences.
Com. T.K.V. Nair led a very simple life and by nature was quiet and unassuming. But he roared like a lion when provoked and turned to be a great orator in Malayalam, captivating his audience. For over 35 years, he lived a true trade union way of life, created at every level of the movement excellent dedicated cadres to carry on the organizational activities and passed away, as we said earlier, on the 9th of January, 1982 at Trivandrum, at the age of 58, leaving an imperishable and indelible imprint on the glorious history of AIBEA.
Dear Annan, leaders like you sacrificed your entire life, career in the Bank and your family comforts to build up our beloved AIBEA so that we can be safe and stay protected. When today we are celebrating the 75th Anniversary of AIBEA, we assure you Comrade that your sacrifices will not go a waste and we shall work hard to further strengthen AIBEA.
