The
formative years
The trade union movement of Officers in the Banking
Industry in our country has been unique and eventful.
Upto early sixties, Bank managements used Officers
as a tool for perpetuating their interests without
sharing any of the rights of the management with
the Officers’ community and foisted rigid service
conditions coupled with indignities and injustices.
Social and cultural barriers were built around the
Officers. A trade union was beyond their imagination.
Resentment started developing. Officers were feeling
suppressed, repressed and depressed. The developments
in the trade union activities of workmen organizations
imparted further need for formation of Officers’
Associations in all the banks. During mid-sixties,
a tiny band of bold officers from different banks
came forward and decided to fight the onslaughts
of the management by formation of Officers’
Associations in Bank of India, Central Bank of India,
State Bank of India and UCO Bank. The birth of such
organizations was no easy task. Suspicion, vacillation
and fear psychosis reigned supreme.
Nationalisation of 14 major banks in 1969 totally
changed the scenario. Bank Nationalization was not
only a major event in the economic life of our country
but proved to be a turning point in the history
of Bank Officers’ movement also. In fact the
strike of 17 days in 1969 by the Officers of State
Bank of India was a real fillip to the movement.
The movement assumed a new dimension with emergence
of a national level organization. From Bank level
negotiations, an endeavour was made to project the
problems of Officers in the Banking Industry to
the level of the Government and a need for an apex-level
organization was keenly felt. All India Confederation
of Bank Officers’ Organisations (AICOBOO) was
born in the year 1972. It had to its credit the
struggle against unilateral implementation of Pillai
Committee Recommendations, strike against anti-labour
legislation - ESMA and strike for salary revision.
The attempt of the Government on unilateral implementation
of PCR changed the entire complexion and helped
in building a strong movement resulting in a strike
in June, 1978 and initiated the industry-level dialogue
between IBA and Officers’ Organisations. Later,
as AICOBOO was drifting away from the avowed trade
union path,the necessity to give a new organizational
shape to the Confederated body was keenly felt.
The foundation conference of the new outfit held
on 6th October, 1985 at New Delhi saw the emergence
of a strong and vibrant organization - ALL INDIA
BANK OFFICERS’ CONFEDERATION (AIBOC).
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