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All India Bank Officers’
Confederation
1. The largest bank officers’ union:
All India Bank Officers’ Confederation is the largest national union of bank officers in India. It’s membership comprising officers and Managers is drawn from various banks - in the state sector, in the private sector, in the rural banking sector and in the cooperative sector. As on 31.12.2003 AIBOC had a membership strength of over 2 lakh officers. They become members of AIBOC through their own unions in the respective banks they work for. Individual bank officers’ union is in turn affiliated to AIBOC.
2. An independent union:
AIBOC is an independent central union. It is not affiliated to any political party or party - controlled union. Its day to day affairs are looked after by serving bank officers. AIBOC follows a democratic tradition. Through its Triennial General Council meetings, representatives of the affiliates participate in major policy decisions. The General Council elects an Executive Committee with representation to every affiliate. The EC meets periodically and gives direction on the working of AIBOC. A smaller group called Working Committee comprising senior office bearers meets almost every two months to supervise and direct the Secretariat of AIBOC.
3. Funding:
AIBOC generates its funds mainly through the affiliate fee contributed by the affiliated organizations. The affiliate fee is linked to the membership strength of each affiliate. AIBOC does not receive funds from any political party or organisation.
4. The present office bearers:
The present team of Office Bearers (2004-2007) is follows:
5. AIBOC’s work:
a. Service conditions of Bank officers:
Being the largest national body of bank officers AIBOC has continuously strived to improve the service conditions of officers and their compensation system. Based on the feed back received from affiliated unions, comparison with other enterprises and study of relevant data, periodically AIBOC presents charters of demands to the Indian Bank’s Association (IBA) which is the apex body of bank managements. Since 1985 regular bipartite meetings have been held between AIBOC and IBA on salary revision and other service conditions. Such revision has taken place in 1985 (retrospectively from February 1984), 1987, 1990, 1995, 1999 and 2005.
b. Participative Management:
AIBOC has worked towards a participative culture in banks. This is done through two distinctive measures: a) Interaction between affiliated union and the bank management on matters connected with a bank’s working. b) Participation at the level of bank’s board through affiliate’s nominee director as provided under law.
In most banks, AIBOC affiliates involve in regular discussions with managements on developing new skills, improving the attitude and enhancing knowledge of the human resources. Efforts are continuously on to create a work environment conducive to greater efficiency.
c. Campaign on larger national/ social issues:
AIBOC has shown its deep commitment to build a just and equitable society through the financial system. The instrumentality of public sector banking had assisted in promoting a just society through easily accessible financial resources.
It’s predecessor, namely All India Confederation of Bank Officers’ Organisations (AICOBOO) had been in the forefront espousing the cause of social banking. In fact bringing the financial sector under public ownership was a demand of the bank officers’ movement in the 1960’s. After the nationalization of major commercial banks in 1969 and 1980, the banking industry’s character underwent a sea change: the emphasis shifted from class banking to mass banking - banks became accessible to the masses. While supporting the concept of social banking AICOBOO and from 1985 onwards AIBOC have laid great emphasis on professional autonomy to the banks without external interference in their working.
In the early 1990’s AIBOC focused on the bulging non-performing assets of banks, the need for transparency in respect of large loan defaulters and a social audit of loan write offs. It also demanded legal reforms to enable the banks to enforce the securities without prolonged litigation.
During the reforms period starting from 1991, on the altar of global integration, banks started moving away from the concept of social banking. Privatisation of public sector banks was held out as a means to make them efficient. AIBOC, jointly with other national organizations has been campaigning against privatization. Seminars and lectures are held, papers and memorandums are submitted and trade union actions are organized to focus the public attention on the adverse impact of privatization on the economy.
6. Social concern:
AIBOC has laid great stress on the need for a social concern among the trade unions - particularly bank officers. Some of its affiliates are continuously involved in activities calculated to benefit the society at large.
For example, SBI Officers Associations have a string of schools which provide quality education. Bank of India Officers’ Associations have programmes intended to help rehabilitation of street children in Mumbai. Indian Overseas Bank Officers’ Association provided new school buildings in the State of Orissa in the aftermath of a devastating super cyclone in 1998-99 and one more to run a special school for the mentally and physically challenged children in the outskirts of Madurai. Corporation Bank Officers’ Organisation under its social action wing “SWASTI” helps orphanages, provides assistance in kind to schools in remote corners and renders support to institutes intended to rehabilitate mentally challenged. It also organises seminars, lectures and cultural activities with a distinct social message.
7. Organising the unorganized:
a) Sectoral federations:
Within the banking industry there were vast sections of officers who were not unionized or who would not involve in union activities.
i) RRB Sector :
All over the country 196 regional rural banks have been operating. They function in the remotest corners of every district in the country - with hardly two or three staff in each branch. To provide collective strength for the officers working in these banks, associations were set up in every RRB. These associations were federated into All India RRB Officers’ Federation - which is a wing of AIBOC. AIRRBOF is continuously involved in strengthening unionism in this sector and in turn evolving plans to improve the loss making RRBs and restructure of the sector.
ii) Private Sector:
A number of private banks belonging to the old generation continue to operate outside the state sector. In these banks the managements follow different practices in relation to compensation, service conditions and treatment. The officers, there, are organized into officers’ associations. These associations are federated to All India Private Sector Banks’ Officers’ Federation - which is a wing of AIBOC. AIPSBOF provides advice, guidance and assistance to the officers in the private sector banks.
iii) Co-operative Sector:
Unionisation in co-operative banking sector is slowly spreading. In a few states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Goa, officers in state level co-operative banks are unionized. To provide them guidance and support they are also federated into All India Co-operative Banks’ Officers’ Federation which is another sectoral wing of AIBOC. The activities of the units of AICBOF have been able to inspire officers in many other co-operative banks.
b) Womens’ Wing:
Women constitute a sizable portion of the staff complement in the banking industry. They are no doubt members of the unions in their respective banks. But, for long they remained in the backdrop without involving in union activities. Integrating them into the mainstream became necessary. In 1995 AIBOC set up a separate Women's Wing with a National Convener. Periodically the women’s wing organizes programmes for women officers and represents their issues before AIBOC so that they can be raised at the industry level. In many banks today women officers are better organized. They occupy important elective positions in the organizations.
7. Communication:
Communication is a vital means of spreading awareness among the constituency. While many affiliates bring out their own periodical newsletters, bulletins and magazines, AIBOC has been publishing a monthly journal `Common Bond’. It is sent to all affiliates and to members (on request). Common Bond contains a lot of useful information.
8. Training of the Cadre:
With a view to strengthening the cadre, AIBOC regularly conducts training programmes for its affiliates. The office bearers and activists have found such trainings very useful in improving their organizational effectiveness. Training inputs include leadership skills, communication, public speaking, defence in domestic enquiry and union management. Eminent speakers and trained resource persons are invited to support the training programme.
9. Towards a larger coalition:
AIBOC has been working on building a larger platform of unions in banking. The first major break-through is in setting up a broad coalition of all unions in banks. Called United Forum of Bank Unions, the coalition meets regularly and tries to evolve a common strategy with reference to policy matters pertaining to banking industry. The General Secretary of AIBOC is currently the convener of UFBU.
The second major step is in forming a coordination committee of unions in the financial sector (AICCUFS). At its periodic sessions AICCUFS discusses the strategies of the financial sector unions in relation to the changes in the sector.
10. Looking ahead:
Considering the role of the officers in the banking industry and capabilities of the officers’ associations, AIBOC proposes to work towards making banks more efficient to face the challenge of competition and to promote a collaborative culture in banks. It intends to promote a larger coalition of unions which can give better strength to them and make them effective in influencing policy issues. Being part of the society, AIBOC will increasingly involve in social action through its affiliated organizations.
Central Office:
AIBOC’s Central Office is now in Bangalore where the General Secretary is stationed.
The address and Contact number are given below:
All India Bank Officers’ Confederation P B No.5160, State Bank Buildings, St. Mark’s Road Bangalore - 560001
Tel: (Direct) 080-22211006 (Gen) 22270619 Fax: 22214956 Email : aiboc@indiatimes.com Web : www.aiboc.com
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