About Us
All
India
Bank
Employees
Association,
the oldest and largest national trade union centre of bank
employees in India, was founded in 1946 on the 20th of April
in Kolkata. They were being paid paltry wages with no regulated
service conditions at all. It was a rule of hire and fire.
Bank employees were groaning but did not have the necessary
courage to form unions. They saw the workers in the factories
fighting and making some progress in terms of wages and betterment
in service conditions. Bank employees also gathered some courage
here and there and started to organise themselves into unions
in a sporadic way. Some protest actions and strikes were undertaken
but the disputes were referred to tribunals and employees
did not get justice or satisfaction.
Hence unrest and dissatisfaction amongst the employees were
brewing and many Unions were formed during the period. With
the advent of AIBEA on the scene, this gave a fillip to the
formation of unions in different banks. With the formation
of the Unions, there were innumerable agitations, struggles
and strikes in the banks. Banking was a State subject at that
time and hence there were number of Tribunals and Awards.
The growing discontentment amongst the bank employees was
sensed by the management and the authorities and banking was
made a central subject.
Consequently,
there were All India tribunals. The unduly long periods of
awaiting, the unsatisfactory awards and the bias of the authorities
made the AIBEA in 1964 to demand direct bilateral negotiations
and settlement. AIBEA succeeded in this effort when in 1966
the first ever industry level Bipartite Settlement was signed
between the AIBEA and the bank management's across the table.
Today this bilateral agreement constitutes a landmark achievement
in the banking industry and 7 Bipartite Settlements have been
signed so far by the AIBEA.
Thus from 1946 to 1966 - nearly two decades were the periods
of organising unions and fighting before the Tribunals.
From 1966, it has been an era of consolidation. Bank unions
were recognised by the management's and in each bank many
policy issues on recruitment's, transfers and promotions were
regulated by mutual agreements.
Along with the struggle for improvements in wages and service
conditions, AIBEA also campaigned for nationalisation of Banks.
After years of continuous efforts and struggle, AIBEA achieved
its objective when major 14 banks were nationalised in July,
1969. Subsequently in 1980 another set of 6 Banks were nationalised.
AIBEA has always been governed by its twin policies - concern
for the progress of the banking industry and concern for the
betterment of the interests of banking staff.
Even today AIBEA is guided by these principles.