S. Harirao
The 13th Conference of Indian Bank Employees Federation, the first conference after the merger of Indian Bank Employees Federation and All India Allahabad Bank Employees steering Committee held in Chennai on 13th and 14th of August 2022 called for regularization of temporary subordinate staff and adequate recruitment of clerks. The conference also called the Indian Bank Management to extend the better service conditions of both the Banks to all the employees and officers of the merged entity.
The Conference commenced with the Presidential Address of President Com. K.Krishnan. Chairman of the Reception Committee Dr.Venkatesh Athreya, while welcoming all, stressed the need to fight against this Union Government’s pro-corporate, anti-people economic policies. He also underlined the need to fight against the divisive communal approach of the present dispensation. Com.Debasish Basu Chaudhury, General Secretary of BEFI in his inaugural address has dealt in detail about the present government’s drive towards privatisation and the need to fight it out unitedly.
Chief Guest honourable Justice K. Chandru stressed the need for celebrating the formation of Bank trade Union even before independence. He recalled the freedom movement and how the communists like A.K. Gopalan and other leaders who took part in freedom struggles were in the jail for years even after India got independence. He narrated how in 1929 when a bill affecting the Working Class was introduced in parliament Assembly, a young man threw a bomb and hand bills with wordings “let the deaf ears hear the sound”, who is none other than Bhagat Singh. Justice K. Chandru had thrown light on the Constitution of India framed by Dr.B.R. Ambedkar and how he felt that there were no communists in the constituent assembly during discussions on the Constitution as they were still behind the bars.
Com.R. Sekaran, General Secretary, IBOA, Com.N.Rajagopal, General Secretary, BEFI (TN) greeted the conference.
The Women’s Session of the Conference was presided by Com.P.S. Anandi. Prof. R. Chandra delivered a sensational speech narrating the difficulties faced by ordinary women of this country and stressed the need for educating the women of their rights.
The delegates session was presided by com. Ashoke Das and inaugurated by Com.C.J. Nanda Kumar, President of BEFI. He exposed the danger of the pension buyout scheme thrust on the employees of erstwhile Lakshmi Vilas Bank as a pre-condition for wage talks by the DBS Bank Management.
The Conference unanimously elected a team of 28 office bearers with Com.Sanjay Kumar as President, Com.S. Hari Rao as General Secretary and Com.O. Arumugam as Treasurer.