The formative years

The trade union movement of Officers in the Banking Industry in our country has been unique and eventful. Upto the 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 the further need for the 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 the 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.

Nationalization 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 the emergence of a national level organization. From Bank level negotiations, an endeavor 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 the unilateral implementation of Pillai Committee Recommendations, strike against anti-labor 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).