Circular No.8/VII/2022

TO

ALL UNITS / STATE COMMITTEES

Comrades

GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTS TO PUT THE BANK PRIVATISATION BILL
IN FAST FORWARD APPROACH.
SUSTAINED STRUGGLE IS THE ONLY WAY TO REVERSE THE STEPS.

           In the current budget presented in the Parliament, it was made known to mob of Rs1,75,000 crores through the process of disinvestment route. Prior to the presentation, Dept .of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) issued a office memorandum stating that bare minimum presence of the existing public sector Commercial enterprises will be retained under Government Control. The rest of them will be considered for privatization or merger or subsidiarization with another PSE or for closure. Followed by this announcement, one official from the Government made an clear expression that Banking Sector will be privatized.

2.         Massive participation in the Strike on 15^th and 16^th March 2021 by the workforce was a clear caution to the Government not to go ahead with the Financial Sector or Public Sector Undertakings the proposed process privatization. Selected Public Sector Banks’ Chiefs were advised to appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Sub Ordinate Legislation In June 2021 with details of performance of their Banks.

3.         In the meanwhile, it was decided by the nine constituents to mobilize the public opinion through signature campaign by the workforce, as it was done earlier in the case of FRDA bill,

Which was subsequently withdrawn by the Government of India. Recently, the print media carried a report that there is clarity on the road map is needed in the matter of Privatisation of IDBI, IOB and Central Bank of India. RBI yet to decide on the corporate ownership in Indian Banks. 

4.         The bill to privatise the two public sector banks is listed for introduction, consideration and passing in the Current session of the Parliament. Hence, preparation to conduct a sustained struggle is the need of the hour. We have witnessed the resistance movement launched by the farmers and the sacrifices made by their families.

5.         We advise our state committees and affiliated unions to prepare the workforce in readiness to implement the organisational calls of united movement of banking workforce in our country.

LET US BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR A PROSPEROUS FUTURE.

Yours comradely

S.NAGARAJAN.

GENERALSECRETARY

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Circular No.18/VII/2021

November 23, 2021

TO

ALL UNITS / STATE COMMITTEES

Comrades,

GET READY FOR A SUSTAINED STRUGGLE.

NATIONAL CONVENTION OF WORKERS MEET AT DELHI.

The CTUS and independent federations had a National Convention at New Delhi on 11.1.2021. Our Organisation was represented by Com. Sanjay Khan, President AIBOA-Delhi State Committee and Secretary AIBOA in the Convention. The convention has decided to observe  two days’ strike during the budget session against the policies pursued by the present Government.

2.         The attacks are mounting on the working people in various forms. The sustained of the farmers for the one year and also sacrifices made by them during this period by them brought them a sigh of relief partially. Such a strong resistance should be developed by the banking workforce to withdraw their bill slated to be tabled in the Parliament.

GET READY FOR  THE  STRUGGLE  and  participate in the agitations organized by the CTUS in the respective states

Yours Comradely,

S.NAGARAJAN.

GENERAL SECRETARY.

Encl:

DECLARATION – NATIONAL CONVENTION OF WORKERS -11.11.2021

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NATIONAL CONVENTION OF WORKERS

11^TH November 2021, Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

DECLARATION

The National Convention of Workers being held on 11^th November 2021 at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi at the initiative of Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Independent sectoral All India Federations and Associations calls upon the working people to heighten the ongoing united struggles to the level of resistance against the desperate pursuit of anti-worker, anti-farmer, anti–people, pro-corporate and anti-national destructive policies by the Govt of India which has brought the lives and livelihood of the entire people and the country’s economy to the brink of disaster. The Struggle now is not only to save the rights and lives/livelihood of people but also save the country’s economy and the entire democratic system and the society as a whole from disaster and destruction being engineered by the authoritarian  forces in governance with the active support of private corporate, both domestic and foreign.

The situation has been deteriorating, from bad to worse. Phenomenon of increasing unemployment has been competing with faster pace of job-losses arising out of destruction and extreme degeneration of existing employment and livelihood-avenues, throwing not only the working people in rural and urban areas but also the entire youth-student generations in a situation of futureless destitution and desperation. The earnings of  overwhelming majority of people has been pushed below the human-survival level : during the two-three months of the second wave of Covid in April 2021 onwards, the earnings of 23 crore workers have been pushed down to much below the prevalent statutory minimum wage level which has  already been below the standard for human survival.

As a consequence, intensity of hunger, that too among the working people, has increased alarmingly, bringing India further down to 101^st  rank in Global Hunger Index out of 107 countries and our country is trailing much behind our neighbouring countries in that regard.

Each and every policy drive and action of the present Govt at the centre is aimed at continuously squeezing the human survival entitlement of the people only to benefit the handful of private corporate, both domestic and foreign and may be those in governance. Even health services entitlement has not been spared by the privatization-deregulation spree of the Govt as has been witnessed in the procession of deaths during the pandemic, particularly during second wave when common people died more for want of oxygen, hospital beds and medicine than due to Covid itself. The Govt had in the initial stage thrown the mass-vaccination also in the hands of private and market forces, but subsequently have to retreat owing to pressure of public opinion. Still 25% of vaccine was left for private procurement and profiteering. 

In midst of such widespread impoverishment and hunger, pushing almost half of the populace below the destitution level poverty line, prices of essential commodities are skyrocketing to unbearable level. Price rise is not just happening, it is being made to happen by the Govt’s atrocious discriminatory taxation and other policies, only to benefit the small big-business/trader/corporate section of society.The prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas and other fuels are increased almost on daily basis by the present reckless taxation regime which is having cascading impact of price rise in all other commodities and public transport and other services. Almost half of govt revenues are coming from taxation on fuel. High indirect tax-rates through GST mechanism on essential daily requirements, increasing user charges of almost all public utilities including health, medicine, education etc are further adding fuel to fire—all contributing to increasing intensity of hunger and distress among the mass of the people.

Simultaneously and shamelessly enough, the Govt of the day has been continuously lowering the corporate tax rates, abolished wealth tax, declaring moratorium on payment of charges/taxes payable by corporate and also moratorium on debt repayments by the same willful defaulter corporate/big-business community, who actually gained a fortune during this crisis ridden pandemic period by way of increasing their wealth by more than 40 per cent—all at the cost of misfortunes and miseries being suffered by majority of working population. The distribution of GDP, created by the working people only, is   brazenly discriminatory against them, with the richest 1% cornering more than 70% of the same and lowest 50% of populace getting less than 10%. The Govt has in fact waged a war against the common people only to serve their corporate masters. Its arrogant refusal to meet at least the basic human survival requirement of the common people by way of free ration and a bare minimum income support of Rs 7500/- per month to all non-income-tax paying households as demanded by the joint trade union movement, drastically curtailing MNREGA, ICDS and other Social Security allocations on the pretext of their coffers being empty, are all reflections of such inhuman criminality.  

In the midst of this horrifying situation for the country and the people, the Govt. at the centre has been hastily pushing through its project of all out reckless privatization through multi-pronged routes of all national productive assets and PSUs including mineral resources, financial institutions like banks and insurance, security sensitive sectors like defence production and major Ports, petroleum and natural gas, Railways, Airlines & Airports, Electricity, Steel, Engineering, Highways, telecom and postal services, selling 500 coal blocks and what not. And to facilitate privatization and at the same time to benefit the debt-defaulting corporates, the Govt. has legalized pilferage of banks fund by them through debt-route by enacting Insolvency Bankruptcy Code, 2016 and further amending it which allow the debt defaulter to move free without repayment of large part of their debt and compel the banks to forego the amount in the name of “haircut”. It is to be noted that the Workers involved in such cases are not allowed any representation in the decision-making process. The latest move is the amendment of the Bank Nationalisation Acts for privatizing the banks in favour of the same defaulter-corporate community, for which the Bills are going to be introduced in the forthcoming Winter Session of Parliament. 

  The audacity of privatization has gone to such heinous extent that in its latest move, Govt has decided to handover almost all infrastructural assets, built by public funds over past seven and half decades, to private hands, virtually free of cost, for making money out of the same, in lieu of its minority shares to Govt. It is called the National Asset Monetisation Pipeline project (NMP). Besides loss and destruction of these infrastructural assets, this will inevitably increase the burden on the people through reckless increase in user charges by those private corporates for free fortuitous profit without any investment.   Can criminality and cronyism go further ? Or should such plunder of our national assets be allowed to happen? This process is also taking away constitutional right of reservation in government jobs for Dalits, tribals and other downtrodden sections of society. 

Privatisation spree is not limited to production and services sectors alone. Through mass scale contractorisation and outsourcing of work in most of the Govt departments and administration, entire governance system is being planned to be privatized. In fact the slogan of the Modi Govt for minimum Government and Maximum Governance is being executed by privatizing the entire government machineries and establish the absolute grip of the corporate class on the entire governance.The employees movement in central government and state governments and also the municipal administrations in most of the states are  facing this onslaught.  And the pension/social security savings of the people and employees are not being spared from such exercise of loot by private corporate. The Govt employees, both in central and states have been subjected to tremendous loss through the National Pension System (NPS). This was also made applicable to common people through contributory mechanism. Now the entire fund with NPS, both for the Govt employees and people are being taken out of the supervision and regulatory control of Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority(PFRDA) by amending PFRDA Act in order to put the entire NPS fund under a corporate entity or a Society registered under Societies Act with virtually no Govt control, thereby leaving the huge amount of pension/social security savings of the employees and the people for boundless speculation, endangering even the  meagre pension available under NPS. Under neoliberalism, the spree of loot and plunder of people can go to any nefarious extent.

In the same brazen fashion, country’s agricultural sector, providing livelihood to more than 60% of our population is being sought to be plundered in favour of handful of corporates through enactment of three Farm Laws- designed for ultimate corporate take-over of land and entire agricultural sector. The Food security of the people is going to be a big casualty, besides promoting essential commodity speculation to an atrocious extent, contributing to unmanageable inflation and price rise terribly affecting the entire population, not merely the agricultural community which will be the first victim. 

The working class movement is fully aware of this atrocious and destructive policy regime and has been struggling against it continuously since the very beginning. And Farmers organizations and their joint platform have also been fighting against these policies; and their almost year-long historic struggle around the borders of Delhi demanding repeal of the Farm Laws, the Electricity (Amendment) Bill and enactment of statutory MSP and other issues with simultaneous joint agitations and actions throughout the country along with the workers and trade unions have changed the dimension of the united struggle of the entire people against the anti-national destructive policy regime to a new height. The Govt has remained arrogantly unresponsive.  Farmers struggle is going on combating all offensive by the Govt and its agents, latest being the killing of farmers at Lakhimpur Kheriallegedly by a Minister’s son against which the workers and peasants of entire country have registered strong countrywide protest. We, the workers and peasants’ movement together, must carry forward this struggle to its logical conclusion of decisive defeat of this retrograde policy regime, their perpetrator corporate class and their agents in governance. “To Save the People and Save the Nation” must be the battle cry of our Mission India. 

There are challenges before the working class movement no doubt. But we are carrying on our united struggles combating those challenges.

Along with the destructive authoritarian measures in economic policy front, the Govt has been overactive in gradually demolishing the democratic governance structure, trampling underfoot all constitutional norms, including basic parliamentary provisions as well. Most retrograde UAPA has been enacted and any opposition and dissent to their policies is sought to be suppressed by the Govt through arrests, detention under sedition clause, and reckless abuse of CBI, ED, NIA etc, thereby creating  a reign of terror. Simultaneously the machinations by Govt sponsored communal divisive forces have been acting overtime to divert peoples’ attention to non-issues and divide and polarize the people on communal-casteist-divisive lines.

Labour Codes are enacted by way of repealing 29 existing labour laws and the Codes are aimed at completely demolishing and altering working conditions, rights at workplace and trade union rights in favour of the employers’ class. The Govt. has further gone ahead in enacting Essential Defence Service Act in further curbing and over-riding the provisions on right to collective agitations and strikes in defence production while empowering Govt. to extend such prohibitory curb to any segment of industry and service on the plea of its linkage with defence sector production. It was nothing but a design of imposing conditions of virtual slavery on the working people to ensure “ease of doing business” for their corporate masters, both domestic and foreign. The rules of labour codes which have in many cases gone  further beyond the provisions of Codes in curbing labour rights, are being unilaterally finalized ignoring the opposition and pointers by trade unions by the central govt and also in many states,

In such a situation of ongoing authoritarian machinations of the entire governance, the governance of the economy, political system and the entire society as such, Working People must heighten their united intervention to demand a halt to this process of assault on lives and livelihood, employment, alarming intensity of impoverishment and hunger, assault on democracy and also unity of the people and thereby save our dear nation from disaster. The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions have to take the frontline and decisive role to build towering resistance to this destructive and disastrous corporate driven regime. We have to demand from all political parties of the nation to incorporate “protection of right to work, living wage, free quality health and education to all citizens and all legitimate constitutional rights” in their political manifestos for the coming assembly elections in 2022 and for the elections scheduled for 2024 and take oath publicly to fulfill their assurances and to support the demands of workers, farmers and all people of the country if they come to power. The sudden drop in petrol/diesel prices now has more to do with debacle faced by the ruling party in the centre in the recent by-elections than the crises faced by the people. Now it is the turn of the ruling regime to find itself in crises in the coming period. We have to heighten our struggle resolutely pressing for our demands, particularly for

1. Scrapping the Labour Codes;
2. Repeal of Farm Laws and Electricity (Amendment) Bill,
3. No to Privatisation in any form and scrap the NMP;
4. Food and Income Support of Rs 7500 per month to non-income tax paying households;
5. Increased allocation for MNREGA and extension of Employment guarantee Scheme to urban areas;
6. Universal social security for all informal sector workers;
7. Statutory Minimum wage and social security for Anganwadi, ASHA, Mid-day-meal and other Scheme workers;
8. Proper protection and insurance facilities for frontline workers serving the people in the midst of pandemic;
9. Increase in public investment in agriculture, education, health and other crucial public utilities by taxing the rich through wealth tax etc in order to revive and revamp the national economy;
10. Reduction in Central Excise duty on petroleum product and concrete remedial measure to arrest price rise. 

Along with other demands already formulated and being pressed for by the Joint Platform of CTUs and Federations/Associations.

The Programme of action:

Massive Demonstration on 26^th November 2021 throughout the country on the completion of one year of last countrywide general strike against the anti-people and anti-national policy regime and the historic Farmers March to Delhi. Effort should be made to coordinate with the peasants’ organizations to have joint demonstration wherever possible.

State level joint convention in all the states to plan for further joint activities including district/area level joint conventions during November/mid-December

Joint meeting of public sector unions

Intensive and extensive joint campaign against the policies up to the grass root level through joint meetings, general body meetings, signature campaign and any other forms to be decided at state level during December,2021 – January, 2022.

State/District/sector level agitations through rallies, demonstrations, jathas, day-long dharna, multiple days mahapadav (continuous dharna) etc to rouse the people for strike action till Mid January 2022

Two days countrywide General Strikes during the Budget Session of Parliament in 2022. (dates to be decided)

The National Convention calls upon the working people and people in general to make the two days countrywide General Strike a massive success to further heighten the ongoing united struggle to “SAVE THE PEOPLE AND SAVE THE NATION”.

INTUC – AITUC – HMS- CITU-AIUTUC

TUCC – SEWA – AICCTU – LPF – UTUC

And Independent Sectoral Federations/Associations

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Circular No.16/VII/2021

August 31, 2021

TO

ALL UNITS / STATE COMMITTEES

Comrades,

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 6^TH Central Committee meeting

PEOPLES’ OWNERSHIP FOR PEOPLES’ BANKING

TAGLINE OF OUR ENSUING CONFERENCE.

The Central Committee meeting, as per the notice issued, was held at our Tarak Institute of Banking and Trade union Research, RJS Bhavan, Mamallapuram on 28^th and 29^th August 2021. The hoisting of our organizational flag was jointly done by Com. Alok Khare Vice Chairman and Com A.N. Suresh, President of AIBOA, followed by the floral tributes to the legendary leader of the Bank Employees’ movement Com. Tarakeswar Chakraborti and also to Com. RJS the leader of our organization, participated by all members. Thus, the commencement of the session was set in motion.

2.      JOINT PRESIDIUM:

         Com. Alok Khare, Vice Chairman, Com. A.N. Suresh President, Com. S.A. Sridhar and Com. Arvind Porwal Vice Presidents constituted the joint Presidium for the meeting.

3.      IN MEMORIUM:

         The house observed the one minute silence in the memory of departed leaders, comrades and also citizens:

·            Com.K.R.Gowri Amma, Outstanding Women leaders of the Country and former Minister of Kerala.

·            Sri. Kalyan Singh, Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

·            Com. Joginder Singh Doyal, prominent National leader of Youth and farmers in Punjab.

·            Com. C.P. Kurian Veteran TU and CPI leader of Kerala.

·            Com. Rajen Mishra, doyen of Indian Classical Music.

·            Guru Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair, Kathakali Maestro.

·             Milaka Singh, sprinter and also Olympic medalist.

·            Hussain Lala former football player.

·            Com. P. Sethuraman, veteran TU Leader in Madurai.

·            Com.Ramnath Chakraborti Militant Leader of Bank Employees In Jharkhand

·            Com. S.R. Kulkarni, former Chairman of AIBRF.

·            Com. K.D.Bhandari former Vice President of AIBOA.

·            Com.Narendra Kotiawala, DGS AIBOA,

·            Com.M.R.Pandya Joint Secretary AIBOA

·            Com.K.J.Ramakrishna Reddy General Secretary of Kotak Mahindra Bank Employees Union.

·            Com. K.K.Anand founder member of AIBEA in J & K.

·            Milkha Singh – Legendary Sportsmen

·            Dilip Kumar – Noted Film Actor

·            Bankmen &their family members who lost their lives during Corona pandemic.

4.      CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES:

         The minutes of the 5^th Central Committee meeting which was held at Nagpur on 13^th and 14^th February 2021 to celebrate completion of 40 years of purposeful existence was presented by Com. V. Ramabhadran, Secretary AIBOA to the house. The same was adopted by the house with an addition of the donation of Rs 25000/-made by Kotak Mahindra Bank Officers Association to the unorganized trust.

5.      LEAVE OF ABSENCE:

 Dr. Kumar Arvind, Com. Vinod Bakshi Vice Presidents, Com.I.Harnath, Secretary, Com.Ajoy Kumar Routray, Com.Tapan Sarkar, Com.D.N.Trivedi, Com.Rajesh Tiwari Joint Secretaries have sought leave of absence due to personal and health reasons.

         Com.V.P.Ponkshe, Com.Nirmal Singh Virk, Com. K. Sathianathan, Com.M.S.Jaishankar and Com.S.K.Shengar Advisors have expressed their inability to remain present in the meeting.

         The Central Committee members from Assam, New Delhi, Jharkhand, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, All India Federation General Secretaries Viz; Com. Devidas Menon, Com.Sandeep Akhouri, Krishna Kumar and Praveen Goel could not attend due to travel restrictions in the respective States due to COVID 19 as well as some personal commitments.

The house granted leave of absence to them.

6.      DEVELOPMENTS IN THE INDUSTRY:

         The C.C. meeting noted that the observance of two days All India Strike on 15^th& 16th March, 2021, called upon by AIBOA along with other constituents of UFBU to oppose Government’s policies of Privatisation of Public Sector Banks was highly successful with younger generation participating with whole hearted enthusiasm. However, the momentum generated could not be carried forward by observing other decided programs mainly due to resurrection of 2^nd wave of Corona pandemic and consequent restrictions. Government however keeps merciless persuation of its anti-people, anti-worker, privatization agenda, manifesting in its policies. All kinds of concessions are continued to be extended to monopoly houses while the desired steps to support economically weaker and downtrodden sections, generate employment and curb rising prices have been blatantly lacking.  The house had the benefit of a brief presentation about the attitude of the Government at the center in the matter of handling the Farmers’ Struggles, Corporatisation of defense sector, banning the strikes of the defense sector unions, power sector employees’ agitation and passing the bill of privatizing the General Insurance Corporations amid chaos in the Parliament and Cabinet approving IPO of LIC for Government ownership dilution were significant developments in our Country. Parliamentary committee on Sub-Ordinate Legislation directing the Institutional Heads of five banks to appear before them on 30^th June 2021 was also reported. The fast forward steps of the Government directing the LIC to exit from IDBI coupled with appointment of auditors for valuation exercise was also presented.

         The matter of early clearance of already settled Family Pension improvement and hike in NPS contribution were repeatedly taken up by our organization in various fora.The family pension of 30% without ceiling w.e.f. from 1.04.2021 and the NPS contribution of 14% from the management side with effect from 11.11.2020 was finally cleared by GOI on 25^th August 2021.

         On up-dation of Pension, AIBOA reiterated that the formula adopted by Government of India in considering the Up-dation in RBI, should be made applicable with effect from 05.03.2019 and merger at 4440 points to the Bank retirees.

         AIBOA has also made its demands/suggestions to IBA regarding improvement in Medical Insurance Scheme, Pension updation and expeditious disposal of other issues pending at their level.

         Finally, the CC Meeting lauded the role and contribution of our banking fraternity in keep serving the Nation and its people in spite of all risks and hazards during Corona 2^nd wave even though the Government support was not adequately available.

         RESPONSES:

         The whole spectrums of developments are interwoven with each other i.e.Privatisation, Merger, UFBU and Co-ordination. To involve the GENNEXT in the ongoing struggles, the steps that are to be initiated by the units: Educate, Engage, Encourage, Empower and Elevate. The submission made by twenty-three speakers were converging to a single point ie; continue the preparation to combat the attacks on the Industry and involve the beneficiaries of the Bank Nationalisation through various programs suitable to their area of operations. Co-ordinated programs are also to be executed with more seriousness.

7.      UNIFICATION OF THE AFFILIATES IN THE MERGED BANKS:

         Com. R.K. Mahendru, General Secretary AIOBOA expressed that the MOU inked on 13^th June 2020 with AIPNBOF could not be implemented so far with required emphasis pertaining to the reorganization of the units and also representatives. He stressed that the meeting as was scheduled to be held after Nagpur CC should now be held on priority with the participation of all three units. Com.Nirmal Kumar Dutta, General Secretary UBIOEA expressed the process of amalgamation of the three units should be taken forward at the earliest.

         Com.R.Jawaher, General Secretary IBOF explained the steps taken by the organization right from 31.01.2021 for the amalgamation of AIABOF with them and also the difficulties that have delayed the completion of the exercise.

         Com.D.S.Ganesan, General Secretary AIUBOSA, expressed in clear terms that the total amalgamation of three affiliates in Union Bank, Corporation and Andhra Bank will be completed by the first quarter of 2022.

8.      Amendments to the Byelaws of our Organisation :

         Com. Anil Kumar, Convenor of the Bye-law committee reiterated his observation that the affiliates should strengthen State committee with membership as well as fulfilment :of the financial obligations in full measure. In the absence of response to the suggestions made twice, he informed that the units are take up the tasks as immediate and important in the background of the ensuing the 8^th Conference of our Organisation. The committee would finalise its recommendations in next few months.

9.      CLEARANCE OF FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS TO AIBOA:

         As decided in the 5^th Central Committee of AIBOA, levy on the wage revision @2% on net of taxes should be collected without any exception from members by the Affiliates. Out of the 1% share to be shared between Apex organization and state committees, the following units have so far remitted in full.

·         Punjab National Bank officers’ Association Kerala remitted the collection.

·         Canara Bank officers’ Union remitted Apex level share as well as the State committee Share, which was sent to State committees by AIBOA.

·         Kotak Mahindra Bank Officers’ Association has remitted the share to Apex and the list has been submitted of the states’ eligible to receive their share from Central Office.

·         All India Union Bank officers’Staff Association has remitted the collection to Apex as well to State share.

·         Bank of Baroda Officers’ Union has remitted amount received from the members, as the check off system has not been restored in the Bank due to Court Case pending for final disposal.

·         All India State Bank of India Officers’ Coordination Committee remitted the levy as well as the subscription.

·         Bank of Maharashtra officers Association has paid ad-hoc amount of levy.

·         United Bank of India Officer Staff Association has paid a token amount of levy.

·         Central Bank Officers’Union, Tamil Nadu, as per the past practice adopted by AICBOA Units in the past 2010 and 2015 remitted the share to apex as well the share to State.

10.    Submission of Accounts for the year ended 31.12.2020.

         The audited accounts for the year ended 31.12.2020 was presented by Com.R.Jawaher, Treasurer, which was adopted unanimously with the following sanction by the Central Committee.

         [i]   The amount shown as due from AP State Committee in the Accounts of the purchase of the office in the joint names AIBOA and AIBOA(AP&Telangana)State Committee treated as Donation to the State Committee.

         (ii)  The franking machine shown after depreciation of Rs 8080 has to be written off due to the system changed to electronic one. The CC approved the proposal unanimously.

         Future Programs :

         The following broad consensus decisions have been arrived at from the inputs shared by the participants drawn from16 state committees and 10 Affiliated units during over fourteen hour’s discussions in two days.

1.    The struggle against the Privatisation of Banks should be vigorously taken up by the units by involving the beneficiaries of the Bank Nationalisation by drawing the programs at unit /State level/All India level.

2.    The CC confirmed the steps initiated to extend whole hearted support to All India IDBI Officers’ Association, in fighting back the privatization move of IDBI, by Government of India.

3.    The signature campaign which is muted one to be taken up at the branch level and the customers across the counters to be approached to be part of our struggle.

4.    Social Media Campaign should also be taken forward to propagate our organizational stand on Privatisation of Banks.

5.    Officers are to be advised specifically not to respond to the SMSs received from their Administrative heads between 8.00P.M. and 8.00 A.M should not be responded as the same is meant for personal and family purposes.

6.    The meeting of representatives of three affiliates in erstwhile OBC and United Bank with PNB will be held in Consultation with the three affiliates as a prioritized exercise.The contents of the MOU drawn on 13^th June 2020 will have to be kept in mind.

7.    The representatives of IBOF are to engage themselves to finalise the blue print drawn on 31^st Jan 2021 with AIABOF at the earliest.

8.    The AIUBOSA to complete the process of amalgamation at the earliest with our affiliates in the e-CB and e-AB and not later than 31.03.2022.

9.    The affiliates are advised to clear the financial obligations to State Committees and also Apex level. Non- payment of levy and subscription by affiliates shall certainly attract organisational action as decided in the Nagpur CC.

10.  The affiliates and state committees are to consult their Central Committee and forward their suggestions pertaining to the Byelaws of the Organisation with specific emphasis for strengthening of the state committees with Human as well as financial support for effective functioning, representation in the CC members from State Committees etc within 15 days.

11.  The office purchased in the name of AIBOA and AIBOA (MSC) shall have to be inaugurated at the earliest and not later than the Second week of October 2021.

12.  The induction of youth in the trade union activities by conducting a training on trade union education, as decided in 5^th Central Committee at Nagpur, will be taken up for its implementation after collecting the inputs from the State committees and affiliates of the earlier exercise carried out at Hyderabad in December 2016.

13.  The state Committees are directed to take up the assignment of holding their state conferences in a systematic manner in consultation with Central Office AIBOA.

14.  The venue and date of the 8^th Conference of our Organisation shall be decided by the Secretariate and in due course.

15.  The defunct coordination committee at the Apex level has to be revived to strengthen and also to draw the plan to repulse back the attempts of the Government at the centre of their policies related to our industry in particular and common people in general at the earliest possible.

VOTE OF THANKS:

Com.D.S.Ganesan, General Secretary AIBOA-Tamilnadu State Committee and Secretary of AIBOA proposed the vote of thanks for the active participation of the members of the Central Committee for arriving at definite decisions for implementation.

The meeting concluded at 14.45 hrs on 29^th August 2021.

Yours Comradely,

/S.NAGARAJAN/

GENERAL SECRETARY.
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Circular No.15/VII/2021
 July 19, 2021

To:

ALL UNITS / STATE COMMITTEES

Comrades,

53^rd NATIONALISATION DAY- 19^TH JULY 2021.

A DAY TO BE REMEMBERED IN THE ANNALS OF THE HISTORY.

The Nationalisation of the Banks on the 19^th July 1969 was a turn of events in the annals of the political history of our Nation.

2.         Looking back to the developments, even before the independent India was born, the Indian National Congress in its Karachi session, the founding fathers felt the need of prioritizing the steps to be taken by the Government was the Nationalisation of the Banking Industry. What was the purpose? Our Industry, which pools and collects the savings of the People and these savings, should be available to those who need the same. As long as our Industry was in Private sector, this philosophy was never pursued.

3.         On 19^th July 1969, the fourteen nationalized banks had a paid-up capital of Rs 28.60 crores and reserve fund amounting to Rs 38.57 crores. The deposits with the Banks totaled Rs 2741.75 crores and had investments worth Rs 781.64 crores. Statement made in the floor of the Parliament on 29^th July 1969 by the Prime Minister was:

“The financial stake of the shareholders of a bank is almost negligible. The paid - up capital and the reserves constitute hardly 2.4% of the deposits. As against a total deposit of nearly Rs 2750 crores of these banks at the end of December 31, 1968, the paid-up capital was only Rs 28.5 crores or just a little over one percent. The bank managements were thus operating almost exclusively with other people’s money-”

4.         The Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation (LPG) policy pursued by the then Government at the center and succumbed to the market forces had to announce one Public Sector Bank viz. New Bank of India merger with another Public Sector Bank PNB ON 6^th September 1993.

5.         Reform reflection: The process of disinvestment of Government equity started from State Bank of India in 1992-1993. The workforce was enticed to own the shares of the Bank and they were granted loan at a cheaper rate of Interest. Then followed OBC and the same exercise was carefully carried by the management.

6.         Public Sector Banks are the saviors: Bank of Baroda, State Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce and the IDBI Bank Ltd had taken over the Private Sector banks viz: Kashinath Seth Bank Ltd, Barelley Corporation Bank, Sikkim Bank ltd, Banaras State Bank Ltd, Nedungadi Bank Ltd, Global Trust Bank, IDBI bank ltd and United western Bank between 1995 and 2006. The common men savings in these banks was thus secured by the Public Sector Banks.

7.         FINANCIAL INCLUSION EXERCISE- ROLE OF PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS:

As per the latest data available, out of 42 crores accounts under Jan dhan Scheme, 40.75 crores accounts were opened by Public Sector and RRBs. Rs 1.39.864 crores is the amount collected under the above scheme. More than, half of the beneficiaries are the women. The workforce deserved congratulations for their efforts to make the scheme a successful one.

8.         The role of public sector banks in moving the wheels of the economy of our nation needs no further elaboration. When the country is saddled with the health emergency, like any other frontline warriors (FLW), the workforce in the Bank stood the test of the times and implemented various measures announced by the Government from time to time. The sudden announcements of mergers of Public Sector Banks by the Hon’ble Finance Minister was bolt from the blue. The technological glitches occurred had driven the customers to other financial Institutions including Private Sector Banks. The creation of Small Banks and Payment Banks are certainly going to be like any other private Sector Banks. ‘Yes Bank’ bail out operation by SBI was another example in the current period.

9.         COMPULSIONS OF CIRCUMSTANCES.

Indian Banking System had moved into market driven competition. The dynamics of diverse markets and consumer preferences are now dictating the drivers of growth in business. With ever increasing expectations of the customers for new products and service, the Banks are forced to innovate on an ongoing basis new product and services coupled alternative delivery channels suiting to the needs of the customers using the state of art of Technology. Internet is the engine for Banking growth and e commerce shall be the preferred tool for the customers.

10.       The new challenges are: change in the composition of the workforce, disruptive technology, burgeoning bad loans and Government’s policy of Bank Privatization.

We hail the role played by the Public Sector during the 52 years. We are to preserve it intact.

To Conclude: 

Every problem is a challenge:
Donot seek to run away from it.
Face it with courage and faith and walk like a man.

Yours comradely,

/S.NAGARAJAN/

GENERAL SECRETARY
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Circular No.14/VII/2021

July 9, 2021

To

ALL UNITS / STATE COMMITTEES

Comrades,

DISCUSSION ON INSURANCE BACKED HOSPITALISATION SCHEME.

IBA has invited the constituent unions for a preliminary discussion on the captioned subject on 8^th July,2021. The meeting was conducted through VC. Our organization was represented by Com. Alok Khare, Vice Chairman in the discussion. The circular issued by the Convenor UFBU is reproduced for the information of the officers.

Yours comradely

/S.NAGARAJAN/

“Units and members are aware that under our 10^th Bipartite Settlement/Joint Note achieved in 2015, a Group Medical Insurance Scheme has been introduced both for the in-service employees and officers as well as for the retired staff and these Policies have been getting renewed every year since then.  This year’s policy also needs to be renewed from October/November, 2021.  While IBA has initiated the process for such renewal, they wanted to hold a meeting with UFBU to elicit our views and suggestions based on the experiences and feed back received from our unions and members. 

Accordingly, IBA convened a meeting today through Google Meet App.  All constituent Unions of UFBU participated in the meeting.  IBA was represented by Mr. Gopal Murali Bhagat, Dy. Chief of IBA, Mr. Brajeshwar Sharma, Sr. Advisor-HR&IR, IBA, Mr. S.K. Kakkar outgoing Sr. Advisor, HR,  and CGM/GM-HR of PNB, BOB, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of India, Indian Bank and Karnataka Bank who are members of the Sub-Committee dealing with this issue.

Initiating the discussion, the IBA informed us that they are in the process of finalising the rates of premium for the ensuing year based on the quotation/offer from National Insurance Company and if there would be any increase in their quote over the current year’s premium, they would float fresh tender seeking quotation from all others.

In this background the IBA wanted the viewpoints from our Unions.  From our side, the following points were raised and taken up during the meeting. 

●        The Group Medical Insurance Scheme should be continued.

●        Accordingly the policy should be renewed further.

●        If possible, the renewal may be for 2 or 3 years in one go.

●        At the time of introduction of the Scheme, it was assured that more and more hospitals would be tied up for cashless facility.  This should be followed up with Insurance company and TPAs and more number of hospitals should be covered by cashless facility, particularly in smaller cities and towns so that employees are not required to travel to bigger cities for treatment.

●        Wherever cashless facility is not in place in a hospital where an employee/officer is getting admitted for treatment, then some advance amount should be made to him/her to deposit the same with the hospital as may be  required by the hospital concerned.

●        TPAs have to be strengthened and TPAs should be advised to settle the claims within a timeframe failing which, penal conditions should be made applicable.

●        Medical expenses reimbursement is to be treated as a welfare measure and not as a business opportunity for the Insurance Company or TPAs.

●        Proper information/details should be made available to the claimant employee about the claims settled and items rejected, etc.

●        Management should enable help desks to follow up the claims with the TPAs for expeditious settlement.

●        Bank-level Committees of management, TPA and Union should be set-up to take up and resolve the issues pertaining to delay or non-settlement of claims or disputes on claims, etc.

●        The flexible options available under the Retirees Scheme should be continued.

●        Premium under Retirees scheme to be reduced by finetuning the scheme.

●        A portion of the premium payable by the retirees should be subsidised by the Banks under respective Staff Welfare Schemes.

●        Apex Unions to be periodically provided details of claims settled, Claim-settlement ratio, etc.

●        Utilisation of Buffer amount to be made more transparent.

●        Ex-gratia of Rs. One lac payable for major ailments should be paid immediately on claim as delay defeats the purpose of such ex-gratia.

●        New types of treatments being suggested by Doctors and hospitals to be included in the Policy for reimbursement.

●        Problems of pending claims at the time of change of TPAs to be addressed and resolved.

●        Tracking system to be introduced to follow up pending claims.

●        Existing coverage of Rs. 3 lacs/4 lacs to be revised upward.

●        In view of present pandemic situation, special provisions like cost of treatment during home quarantine/isolation period to be included for reimbursement.

●        IBA to take up with the Government for exemption of premium amount from GST.

IBA took note of these suggestions and assured to keep these points in mind while further processing the renewal of the Policy.  IBA also requested us to inform them of any further suggestions to further make the implementation of the Scheme more employee-friendly.

Improvement in Family Pension/NPS :  During this meeting, we pointed out to the IBA that there is undue delay in the approval of the agreed issues i.e.        1) improvement in Family Pension and 2) enhancing Banks’ contribution to 14% under NPS.”                                                          

=UFBU=
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Circular No.13/VII/2021

June 25, 2021

TO

ALL UNITS / STATE COMMTTEES

Comrades,

ALL THE WRONG TURNS.

MOVES OF PROPOSED PRIVATISATION OF PUBLIC SECTOR UNDERTAKINGS/BANKS SHOULD BE DEFEATED.

The Government at the centre is hell bound to sell the family silver ie Public Sector undertakings and also the Banks, to mobilise to fill the coffers with Rs.1.75 lacs crores, by hook or by crook. Our Nation is passing through one of the worst times in the history of Health emergency as well as economic emergency.

2.         The Banking workforce, as Front Line Warriors(FLW), the recognition accorded by the Parliamentary Committee, encountered precarious situations and discharged their duties to the best of their abilities, in carrying relief measures extended by the Government, in various forms. During this period the number of deaths of the workforce, was hovering round 1500, leave alone the family members affected by the dreaded disease, which has new variant character. The second wave is yet to be brought to rest, in the meanwhile, the sudden development in its spread is also causing concern.

3.         Industries are struggling to perform.    The industrial growth is faltering. Value of Index of Industrial Production is certainly discouraging. The data rolled out by couple of expert studies provide that the situation is not comfortable. The migrants who had to get back to their natives in the first wave time, there also spread has increased due to non adherence to social distancing and other protocols specified by the health ministry.

4.         As per the information available, a meeting of Committee of Sub-ordinate Legislation Lok Sabha, was to meet four Institutional heads in the fourth week of April,2021, which was postponed. The points references are:

a.         Examinations of Regulations formed under Section 19 of Banking( Acquisition & undertakings) Act 1970

i)          The administrative/management Structure of the Bank and its overall functioning.

ii)         The capital Structure of Banks.

5.         The budget presented in the Parliament categorically expressed privatisation of two public sector banks and also of Insurance Company. The banks that are not in the radar of the Government, so far are:

[1.] Bank of India, [2.] UCO Bank [3] Bank of Maharashtra, [4].Punjab & Sind Bank, [5].Central Bank of India and [6.] Indian Overseas Bank.

Out of the six banks, IOB and CBI are under Prompt Corrective Action classification of RBI, where restrictions on lending as well as on Branch expansion have been imposed. The performance indicators are also not promising, as per print media. 

6.         The huge bad loans in IDBI Bank, owned by LIC and Government of India, to a tune of 97% of the equity, is in the process of forced exit from the present category. This Institution, established by the Act of Parliament in 1964 as Developmental Financial Institution(DFI)facilitated to provide infrastructure finance to develop the nation its economy. But the owners are seldom bother about the legacy of this great Institution and its contributory role. The top four bad loan accounts constitute nearly 13500 crores out of the total bad loan amount of Rs 50000 crores. The role of NCLT and the IBC mechanism are not worth mentioning.

7.         NCLT FAVOURS THE DEFAULTERS AND DECISION CAUSE A BIG HOLE IN THE BANKS PROFITABLITY: (sample study)

The loans lent to 7 borrowers namely: 1]. Essar, [2.] Bhushan Steels, [3] Jyothi Structures [4]. Electro Steel, [5]. Ispat, [6.] Alok Industries and [7] Videocon availed a total sum of Rs 2,21,320 crores as loan  &

NCLT gave remission ranging from 94% to 23%. The total loss suffered by banks is Rs.124184 crores ie 56% waived.

8.         Punjab and Haryana High Court’s Observations:

The bench consisting of Hon’ble Justice Jitendra Prasad and Hon”ble Justice Vivek Puri,observed that:

“Privatisation is not the panacea for all its ills, Public Sector undertakings were created by Government of India to make a self sufficient Nation.”

“ To achieve this ideal of the Constitution as wished about, by one of the makers of this country, especially in a precarious times that we live in, it becomes imperatives upon the administration to safeguard such Institutions that protect the livelihood.

9.         THE WAY FORWARD: The bill, is likely to be placed, before the Parliament, in the ensuing session. If we have collectively conducted a Public Campaign and made the Government(NDA 1.0) to withdraw the FRDA bill, with the same force, we should make all out efforts to stir up the  citizen’s of the country to stand along with us to make the present rulers to reverse their approach of selling the family silver instead of taking severe actions against the loan defaulters. The only course available to the workforce to Save Public Undertakings /Banks is to Struggle unitedly with the beneficiaries of the Public Sector Banking.

10.       We concentrate in our campaigns, which is restricted due to covid-19 second wave not to get disturbed with the print media reports appearing in different dates in different parts of the country.

Yours Comradely

/S.NAGARAJAN/

GENERAL SECRETARY

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Circular No.8/VII/2021

GENERAL SECRETARY
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Circular No.6/VII/2021

March 22, 2021

To:

ALL UNITS / STATE COMMITTEES

Comrades,

STRUGGLE TO CONTINUE.
SAVE NATION.
SAVE FINANCIAL SYSTEM OF THE NATION.
HALT THE MOVES OF PRIVATISATION OF PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS.

While congratulating the entire community of the Workforce in our Industry for the successful implementation of the two days strike actions on 15^th and 16^th March 2021, supported by CTUs, Farmers organisations and overwhelming the political parties inside and outside the Parliament, the reiteration of the Hon’ble Finance Minister in a Public Function to go ahead with the implementation of the Budget Decision, the meeting of the constituent unions, held at Kolkata decided unanimously decided to escalate the resistance movement in a planned manner. The circular released is appended :

“Meeting of the UFBU was held at Kolkata today, in the aftermath of our successful strike on 15th and 16th March, 2021 against the decision of the Government to privatise public sector banks and against the retrograde banking reforms.

Congratulations: The meeting conveyed its congratulations and greetings to all the constituent unions and all our members all over the country for making the strike a massive success with unprecedented and enthusiastic participation of the rank and file.  The meeting was appreciative of the determination exhibited by the employees and officers manifesting their unequivocal objection to the decision to privatise public sector banks.

Special kudos to youngsters: The meeting conveyed its special greetings to the younger generation of employees and officers who turned out in large number in the rallies and demonstrations.

Support from Trade Unions :The meeting expressed its thankfulness to all the Central Trade Unions – BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, AICCTU, SEWA, LPF, UTUC and BKS – for extending their support to our struggle.  Similarly, the meeting was thankful to Samyukt Kisan Morcha representing 42 farmers’ organisations for their support to the strike of UFBU.  Many sectoral trade unions of employees and officers extended their support to our strike and the meeting conveyed its thanks to all of them. In the insurance sector, in addition to supporting our strike, the employees and officers of GIC and LIC also observed strike on 17^th and 18^th March against privatisation of insurance sector respectively.

Support from political parties : The meeting was thankful to the various political parties – Congress, DMK, AITC, Shiv Sena, NCP, YSRC, TRS, TDP, AAP,SP, RJD, NCP, CPI, CPI-M, CPI-ML-L, VCK, and others for their support to our struggle.  Many of their MPs also took up the issue in the Parliament on 15^th and 16^thand also addressing letters to the Government to reconsider the decision to privatise the Banks.

Successful Mass Petition and Twitter Campaign: The meeting noted that our online Mass Petition campaign was endorsed by more than one lakh people and our twitter campaign was supported by more than 2,20,000 people including tweets by many political leaders and eminent  public personalities. It was notable that our Hashtag “BANK BACHAO DESH BACHAO” was trending at No.1 and made a mark on that day.

Government’s attitude:  The meeting noted that despite our very successful strike, the Government’s attitude was disappointing.  On the other hand, during the press briefing, Finance Minister reiterated the Government’s stand to privatise the Banks.  The Finance Minister also clarified in a reply to a question in the Parliament that after necessary recommendations are received from NITI Aayog, the matter would be considered by the Alternative Mechanism and after that the Government would take a final decision.

Hence, the meeting came to the conclusion that our campaign and struggle has to be further carried forward and intensified.  However, the meeting noted that so far the Government has not come out with any specific Bill in the current Budget Session of the Parliament to amend the existing Banking Laws to facilitate privatisation of Banks.

Get ready for more campaigns and struggles :In view of this, after discussions, it was felt that we must intensify our campaign amongst the people, particularly the beneficiaries and other sections of the people. To enable and to solicit the support of the people, it was decided to undertake a mass campaign of collection of supportive signatures in the petition to Prime Minister.

It was also decided to undertake further preparatory programmes to involve the employees and officers to go for intermittent strikes, prolonged strikes and also indefinite strike.

Keeping these in view, the following programmes have been decided upon:

1. Collection of 5 crore signatures from the people in the Petition to Prime Minister with a copy to the Hon’ble Speaker during April, May, June, 2021.
2. Organisational meetings at all levels during April, 2021 to ensure total membership contact.
3. Mass Rallies, Dharnas, Seminars, Workshops, etc. in all the States in April, May and June, 2021.( to be decided in respective States according to local convenience)
4. Nationwide Strikes, intermittent strike strikes, prolonged strikes as may be warranted looking to developments. (Dates to be announced later).
5. Strike call at short notice, if Government announces any decision on privatisation of banks

Details of campaign programmes to be undertaken in the next two months will be given in the next circular.

Comrades, as everyone of us will understand and appreciate, we are facing the challenge on account of the Government’s announcement to privatise public sector Banks.  We are opposed to privatisation of Banks and we are convinced that privatisation is not the solution to the problems faced by the Banks. It is imperative that we should prepare ourselves for a prolonged and sustained struggle and also elicit support from the people.  We call upon all our unions and members to prepare accordingly to make our struggle a successful one.

With greetings,”

=UFBU=

Yours comradely,

/S.NAGARAJAN/

GENERAL SECRETARY

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Circular No.5/VII/2021

March 16, 2021

To:

ALL UNITS / STATE COMMITTEES  

Comrades,

WE HAVE DONE IT ONCE AGAIN
SOLIDARITARITY SUPPORT FLOWS
FROM ALL- CTUS, FEDERATIONS IN LIC, GIC.
FARMERS' ORGANISATIONS AND POLITICAL PARTIES.

“ Kudos to all our comrades, colleagues and members of all our unions under UFB for the massive response to the 2 day strike call, which has been a stupendous success.  Because of your unity and militancy, our call for 2 Days’ Strike on 15^th and 16^th instants has become a total success all over the country.  We convey our greetings and congratulations to all our unions and members for making the strike an overwhelming success.

As per reports reaching us from various parts of the country, the strike has been overwhelmingly participated by the employees and officers.  In many centres, other stakeholders like retirees, farmers, SHG members, students, workers joined our agitational programs. Their disapproval of the Government’s decision to privatise the Banks and the enthusiasm to express the same was amply clear and visible in all the demonstrations and rallies. 

Normal banking services were paralysed and affected because of our strike.  Almost all the Branches remained closed and shutters were down.  Clearance of cheques could not be processed.

Percentage of employees and officers who participated in the strike was one of the highest in the recent years.  Notably, younger employees were in the forefront of this struggle. Our strike action has conveyed the clear signal to the Government that all of us are opposed to privatisation of Banks.

We are opposed to privatisation of Banks because it is retrograde, it is not in the interest of the customers, the beneficiaries, the general public and of course the employees and officers of our Banks. Privatisation will only benefit the big corporate companies who will purchase and own our Banks.  Privatisation will affect the common people and the ordinary customers. Privatisation will impact social orientation of our Banks.  Privatisation will also adversely affect the jobs, job security, service conditions, reservation policy, etc.  That is why we are opposed to privatisation of public sector Banks.

The only ill afflicting the Banks today is the burgeoning bad loans.  Everyone knows that bulk of the bad loans is attributable to private sector.  Hence, one does not understand as to how handling over the Banks to the private hands will improve the efficiency of the Banks.

It is also our experience that contributions of public sector banks in the last five to six decades have been remarkable and commendable.  Equally our experience with the private sector banks has been bitter.  Many of them had collapsed at regular intervals due to mismanagement and public sector Banks had to bail them out.

Hence, privatisation is no panacea for the problems and challenges facing the public sector Banks.  Rather privatisation would aggravate the problem.

We are thankful to all the Central Trade Unions who have extended their fraternal support to our struggle.  We are thankful to farmers’ organisations, for their support.  We are also thankful to the various sectoral trade unions who volunteered and extended their support to our strike. 

We are thankful to all the Unions in LIC and GIC, Power Sector, Central Government Officers, NCOA, MTNL, BSNL who not only supported our strike but also organised solidarity demonstrations in many centres.

We are thankful to All India Reserve Bank Employees Association who supported our case.  We are thankful to All India Bank Retirees Federation and other retirees organisations who had expressed their solidarity with our agitation.

we are thankful to all the political parties , Congress, DMK, Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress, CPI, CPM, AAP, VCK and others for their support.  Their MPs have raised our issue in the Parliament also.  Many MPs addressed letters to the Government extended their support to our struggle and urging upon the Government to reconsider their decision.

Comrades, we are committed to efficient public sector banking and we are always ready to extend our best co-operation to strengthen our Banks.  We hope that Government would engage in meaningful dialogue with us and all other stake-holders before proceeding further. 

If unfortunately, the Government moves further with their agenda, we would be left with no other alternative than to further intensify our struggle. 

However, UFBU will meet shortly to discuss and decide future course of action.

With greetings

=UFBU=

Yours comradely,

/S.NAGARAJAN/

GENERAL SECRETARY

2. WELCOME ADDRESS:    Com. Narendra Kotiawala, General Secretary AIBOA(MSC) and DGS AIBOA, in his narrative style, traced the importance of the central committee linking it to the foundation conference of AIBOA, hosted by Eastern Maharashtra Bank Employees Association led by late Com. G.S.Rajput in Feb 1981. The meeting commenced with the lighting of the lamp and floral tributes to the founding fathers of our organisation.

3. IN MEMORIUM:                The house observed two minutes of silence in the memory of the following departed leaders. Comrades and citizens: Shri.Pranab Kumar Mukherjee, former President of India, Shri. Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister, Shri.Jaswant Singh, Former Union Minister, Shri.Ahmed Patel Senior Congress Leader, Shri.Tarun Gogoi, former CM of Assam, Shri.S.N.Patil Former CM of Maharashtra, Com.Gurudas Dasgupta Veteran Leader of AITUC and CPI, Mrs Gupta, wife of Com.Gurudas Dasgupta, Sri.Satyanarayan Singh, Kisan Leader of Bihar, Sri.S.P.Balasubramanyam legendary playback singer, Sri.Soumitra Chatterjee, legendary Bengal Actor, Shri.Infra Khan film Actor, Sri.Rishi Kapoor. Film Actor, Com.Shyamal Chakraborti Veteran CPM Leader, Com. K.Varadarajan, Veteran TU Leader, Com.Subhash Sawant, General Secretary INBEF, Com. V.S.Govindan Nair, TU leader of IBOF. Com.M.Dayala Babu former Vice President AIBOA Com.Giri Srinivasa Rao, Joint Secretary AIBOA Com.S.L.Das, former office-bearer of AIBOA (MSC)Com. B.S.Aggithaya, Chairman CBOU, the recent tragedy at Chamoli district, deaths of Bank employees as well as common people including Physicians, Nurses, Health workers, Police Personnel who became victims of COVID 19 pandemic.

4. LEAVE OF ABSENCE:                 The house granted a leave of absence for the following members of the Central Committee: 1. Com.S.A.Sridhar, 2. Com. Ajoy Routray. 3.Com.Tapan Sarkar, 4. Com.Paresh Ganguly 5. Com. P.K.Baruah, 6.Com.Nirmal Singh Virk  7.Com.V.P.Ponkshe 8. Com. M.S.Jaishankar.

5. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES:             The minutes of the 4^th Central Committee meeting which was held at Indore on 19^th and 20^th October 2020 was placed before the committee by Com.V.Ramabhadran Secretary AIBOA and the same was adopted unanimously.

6. ADDRESS BY GENERAL SECRETARY AIBEA:             Com.C.H.Venkatachalam, General Secretary, AIBEA, after paying floral tributes to the founding fathers of our movement, addressed the Central Committee. In his 70 minutes address, he recalled the days of the foundation conference attending as a volunteer compiling the details of the participants along with Com. Alok Khare, the recent budget announcement about Privatisation of Banks, withdrawal of LIC and Government of India from IDBI, enhancement of limit of FDI from49% to 74%, privatisation of one General Insurance Company, inept handling the issues of ongoing farmers struggles in the Capital of Our Nation, amendments to the labour laws thereby disrespecting the views of the CTUS. He reiterated the necessity to work together in repulsing back attacks and offensives unleashed by the Government against the common people of the country in general and the Financial Sector in particular. Holding the banner of unity together and the slogan of Working Together works should be converted into reality are the thrust areas to be focussed on priority.  Since the CC was held synchronising with the completion of 40 years of purposeful existence of our organisation, he was presented with a memento by the Joint Presidium.

7. DISCUSSION ON THE ORGANISATION:         As the listed agenda on Organisation always take a backseat due to time constraints, this time we initiated the discussion on the Organisation and the representatives of units were advised to present their views. By and large, the processes are already set in motion to complete the whole exercise of affiliated units getting unified. The meeting of representatives of AIOBOA and AIPNBOF held at Panipat on 13^th June 2020 and implementation of the same in letter and spirit has to be taken forwarded. There were virtual meetings held between the representatives of the units in Corporation Bank, Andhra Bank and Union Bank of India and they have decided to complete the process in mid-September 2021. The meeting of representatives of IBOF and AIABOF was conducted on 31/01/2021 and a coordination committee of 14 members was constituted with a working core group of 5 with Com.R.Jawaher as a convenor of the committee.

8. ISSUES OF THE AFFILIATES:   The approach of Government in the matter of pulling out the process from IDBI, the introduction of a new service condition of Non-performance/achievement of targets to remove an officer through a committee, the extension of working hours in Nainital Bank and unwillingness on the part of the management to reverse the same despite repeated approaches by our unit, proper leaflet to educate the Gennext in the Industry about the protection of Jobs, propagation through social media, a tool and the necessity of time to reach out a larger section of the society, court case filed by our unit in Bank of Baroda to challenge the APAR system and also denial of the check-off system to our union in BOB, Bank wise settlement secured by our unit Kotak Mahindra, CTC Employment in Banks, the revival of the co-ordination committee at the apex level, an upward revision of Pension for retirees were prominent issues by the participants.

9. REPORTING ON WAGE REVISION:                  Com.V.Ramabhadran, Secretary AIBOA and Convenor Wage Committee, presented in brief the achievement made by the collective efforts of officers’ organisation and the role by our organisation in uniting the whole section to secure a respectful wage revision for officers’ fraternity. There were specific presentations by Com.D.N.Trivedi General Secretary AIGBOA and Joint Secretary of AIBOA about the delay in implementing the 8^th Joint Notes provisions in RRBs and the attitude of the Sponsoring Banks in denying the benefits through inordinate delays. Though there is a clear cut verdict by the Supreme Court of India to extend the benefits to the workforce in RRBs, still the implementation is an elusive one.  Four comrades presented their observations and sought clarifications. The first-day session ended at 18.15 hrs.

10, CELEBRATIONS – COMMENCEMENT OF 41^ST YEAR OF AIBOA- A CURTAIN RAISER TO 8^TH CONFERENCE:        The second session commenced its proceedings at 09.40hrs. Unfurling the flag of AIBOA by Com. Debesh Bhattacharya, former working President of AIBOA, Com.Alok Khare Vice-chairman, and Com.A.N.Suresh President, followed by lighting the lamp floral tributes to the founding fathers of this great movement culminating with the Cake cutting function in the beautiful environment of revolutionary workers songs from the yesteryear movies. The youngsters, Com. Goyal of Uttrakhand State Committee honoured Com. Debesh Bhattacharya and Com. Sachem Ahuja of Nainital Bank honoured Com.Alok Khare, Vice Chairman AIBOA and Com. Srikant Deshpande, one of the delegate attended the foundation Conference in 1981 by Com. Narendra Kotiawala along with other office bearers present in the venue. Accepting the felicitations, Com.Debesh Bhattacharya recalled the organisational foresightedness of AIBOA in the matter of demanding the introduction of Pension in 1989, thereby debarred from Negotiation with IBA subsequently got back to negotiation by the intervention at Government level and the call for 5 days week and regulated working hours were the demands raised in the Silver jubilee Conference in the year 2006 at Delhi, which was partially realised in 2015. He was overwhelmed by the conduct of the organisation in remembering the elders.

11. DELIBERATIONS FOLLOWED THE CELEBRATIONS:        The participants had the benefit of the clarifications related to wage revision and the house was informed about the release of the stagnation increments to the retirees between 1.11.2012 and 30.04.2015 as well as the benefits accrued to Ex-Servicemen. There is a departure in the matter of the APAR system in two banks, which is likely to be implemented in other banks too. The members reiterating their concern on Industry as well as the jungle law prevailing in some banks.

The best examples of adhering to the directions of the organisation;     Karnataka Bank Officers’ Organisation and All India IDBI Officers Association. IDBI unit has cleared the dues up to 2020 to all states as well as to the Central office AIBOA.

AIBOA MSC PURCHASED THE OFFICE AT MUMBAI: The house was informed about the purchase of the office at Mumbai in the name of AIBOA and AIBOA (MSC)

12. BYE-LAW COMMITTEE OBSERVATIONS:    The committee met at Chennai on 07.11.2019 after Indore CC  and sought suggestions from the States as well as from the affiliates. The response was a muted one. However, two important observations were presented by Com. Anil Kumar Convenor Bye-Law committee. 1.Restructuring the state committees are to be made and affiliated units are to have liaison with the state committees. 2. No let-up in the financial discipline by any unit or person.3. Financial discipline has to be enforced.

13. ADOPTION OF THE ACCOUNTS:                   The audited accounts for the year ended 31.12.2019 was presented by Com.R.Jawaher Treasurer, which was adopted unanimously.

14. The resignation of Com. S.S.Shishodia Chairman was also accepted by the Central Committee. The withdrawal of resignation by Com.M.A.Srinivasan from the post of DGS, has been remitted to the committee consisting of Vice Chairman, President and Dy. Gen, Secretary. The substitution of one of the member from the committee instead of the undersigned was made in consultation with Com. Vice-Chairman and Com. President to uphold the dignity of the office.

15.  The broad consensus after deliberations by representatives of the 14 State Committees and 14 affiliated units are as under:

a.         The fight against the Privatisation of Banks and attacks on the Financial Sector shall have to be escalated through continuous organisational actions as decided by the 9 constituents unions.

b.         The execution of 8^th Joint Note on Officers’ Wage revision was hailed and CC recorded their appreciation for the stellar role played by our organisation in unifying the officers’ organisations was appreciated.

c.         The units are to necessarily collect levy from each member @2% net of taxes without fail.

d.         Those units, which have not adhered to the directions, the Secretariat shall decide the participation of the units and also the members in the ensuing All India Conference.

e.         The wages of RRB workforce shall be pursued with GOI and also with NABARD.

f.          The 8^th Conference of AIBOA will be decided in consultation with the Secretariat.

g.         The seamless merger of AIOBOA  and AIPNBOF in terms of the understanding arrived at Panipat on 13^th June 2020 shall be taken forward and a meeting will be held in the last week of February  2021 at Delhi.

h.         The amendments to bye-law provisions will be once again collected from the State Committees and affiliated units.

i.          The management of Nainital Bank will be approached by us to reverse their approach on men and matters  failing which we shall be compelled to take up with the Controller of Banking System.

k.         A training programme of Gen Next working in the States and the affiliated unit will be conducted in the mid-summer at a convenient place.

l.          The financial sanctions for the enhancement of wages for the office staffs was also presented to the   House for information.

m.        The secretariat has considered the sanction of laptop on buyback arrangement at cost of not more than Rs,80000/, as the earlier one presented by the AIBOA (AP and Telegana State Committee) is becoming obsolete.

n.         To strengthen the organisation for the mutual benefits of AIBOA and AIBEA, the defunct coordination committee has to be revived.

CONCLUSION:         Com. Kamala, a CC member from Tamil Nadu took sufficient and earnest steps and helped the AIBOA (MSC)  to fix the venue at Nagpur. The CC recorded its heartfelt and sincere thanks to the protector of Law and Order of the State of Maharashtra for his timely help but for whom the 41^st Foundation Day would not have been held at NAGPUR after 40 years.

TEAM MAHARASHTRA HAS DONE IT ONCE AGAIN UNDER THE LEADERSHIP COM. NARENDRA KOTIAWALA, General Secretary AIBOA (MSC) and Deputy General Secretary AIBOA. The arrangement was simply superb and worth remembering by all participants.

The CC felicitated him for the wonderful execution of the work schedule and upholding the high traditions of organisational discipline true to AIBOA. Com.Naren, you have made it to happen. RED SALUTES TO ONE AND ALL.

Yours comradely

 /S.NAGARAJAN/

GENERAL SECRETARY

 “ LET  US  FACE  THE  CHALLENGES  UNITEDLY”