History of National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE)

We consider it highly essential for the young generation of Bank employees to be conversant with the history of Bank employees' Trade Union Movement and the evolution and growth of NCBE so that the reviling critics are forcefully answered back and the boastful claims of adversaries are rebutted adroitly. It is a matter of pride that pioneers in the history of Bank Employees' Trade Union Movement, the first and foremost among the Bank: Employees' Trade Union Movement are the predecessors of the All India State Bank of India Staff Federation - The Imperial Bank of India Indian Staff Association that was formed in 1920 much before the advent of Indian Trade Unions Act in 1926.

The pioneers of Trade Union Movement worked with missionary zeal, sacrificed their lot to build up the Trade Union Movement of Bank employees and, in their pursuit of the twin-goals of Nation's independence and amelioration of Bank employees, led crusades of Bank employees and were instrumental in formation of AlBEA in 1946. In fact, it would be a surprise for many to know that the first General Secretary of AlBEA was one of the pioneering Trade Union leaders of State Bank of India Employees' Trade Union Movement, Com. Roshan Lal Malhotra.

But, unfortunately, the united movement of the Bank employees was shattered by the political stooges within AlBEA. In their pursuit to further their partisan interests, they resorted to undemocratic functioning, throttling of genuine voice of dissent through deceit, trickery, double dealings and double talk. An honest pursuit of Bank employees' interests assumed lesser role than the pursuit of party politics.

Though all these Unions were not functioning under one Banner, yet a common thread was running through each one of them -- the ideological akinness to keep the Bank employees' Trade Unions away from narrow partisan party politics and to stop exploitation of Bank employees by the political parties to further their own vested interests.

LETTER OF 10TH SEPTEMBER, 1969 ADDRESSED BY ALL INDIA STATE BANK OF INDIA STAFF FEDERATION TO UNIONS FUNCTIONING IN PUBLIC SECTOR BANKING INDUSTRY

NATIONALISATION OF THE BANKS AND THE TASKS AHEAD

Ever since the attainment of independence of the country, all progressive sections of the people in general and the Bank employees in particular have been persistently demanding nationalisation of the private banks with a view to curb the growth of monopoly capital, ensure equitable distribution of bank credits and reorient the banking policies conforming to the plan priorities of the country. Although the Government was fully impressed about the par-amount need to nationalise the Banks and accepted it as a matter of principle, there was perceptible hesitation on its part to take such a radical measure particularly in view of the naked hostility displayed by the Big Capitalists against such a step and the matter was allowed to rest under placid waters till an opportune moment emerged.

The two decades that followed saw an accelerated pace of industrial development resulting in gigantic growth of trade and industries. The vast rural areas in the country - particularly the agricultural sector continued to remain neglected and under-developed as ever. Banking companies leaning solely upon the big industries prospered beyond any imagination during the period. The total bank deposit shot up more than five times as compared to the deposit controlled by the Bank in pre-independence days. The entire fruits of this prosperity were fully exploited and used to their advantage by a few big tycoons, with the result - the rich became richer and the poor poorer.

The ruling party which had dedicated itself to bring about a socialist state had to, from time to time, face bitterest criticism for allowing such state of affairs to continue and, being pressed by the democratic forces, both within and outside the party, it sought to temporize matters with half-hearted measures - such as, restrictions on Import-Exports trades, social control over the Bank etc.