All India
Regional Rural Bank Employees Association popularly known as AIRRBEA came into
existence in the year 1978 at very initial stage of formation of RRBs in the
country. AIRRBEA was the national apex body of its State Federations and
RRB-level Units till 2010 and after formation of two national federations for
Officers and Employees respectively under the aegis of AIRRBEA it has turned
into a co-ordinating apex body of the National Federation of RRB Officers and
the National Federation of RRB Employees.
AIRRBEA,
directly associated with World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) and
resultantly, through them, with their Financial Sector Wing The Bank, Insurance
& Financial Unions (BIFU), holds the overwhelming majority and
representation of the total workforce of Gramin Banks of the country with a
glorious history of struggle for achievements of demands of the Gramin Bank
Officers and Employees like Equal Pay for Equal Work – pay-parity for all
officers and employees, Regularisation of part-time workers till a certain
time, Introduction of Service Regulations for RRB Employees, Fetching
Social-Status of Gramin Bank Employees, Consolidation and Strengthening of RRBs
through amalgamation etc and have still been endeavouring for pension-parity
and parities of all other benefits and service conditions with Commercial
Banks, Workers’ Representation in RRB Management, Consolidation of RRBs to form
State-wise RRBs under a National Apex body delinking from the Sponsor Bank,
Evolving Competitive playing-level ground with technological upgradation for
RRBs etc.
The herculean
task and onus for up-gradation of status of RRBs and the service conditions of
staff members had to be shouldered by the AIRRBEA as it was the only
Association in RRB sector in the nascent stage of RRBs and as in the way of
achievement there were so many hurdles and obstacles even from the insiders.
All other associations have come into the arena only after the ill-paid,
disintegrated and disgruntled RRBmen got a foothold in the platform of AIRRBEA
on their journey for struggle. The greatest achievement of AIRRBEA is the
snatching out of EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK for the RRBmen through the award of
the National Industrial Tribunal setup under the order of the Supreme Court
which is recounted to be a historic struggle in workers’ liberation movement.
It has got a cognizance in the recently delivered award of the Hon’ble Supreme
Court.
National
Federation of Regional Rural Bank Officers popularly known as NFRRBO, the
largest Officers’ Federation in the Gramin Banks in the country represents more
than 72% of the officers across the country and enjoys majority status in 38
out of 43 RRBs in this vast country.
National
Federation of Regional Rural Bank Employees popularly known as NFRRBE, the
largest Employees’ Federation in the Gramin Banks in the country represents
more than 82% of the employees across the country and enjoys majority status in
38 out of 43 RRBs in this vast country.
Presently the
National Federations have been working as apex organisations of the respective
State Federations (cadre-wise or otherwise) and the Unit-level cadre-wise
Associations under the overall guidance and supervision of AIRRBEA. Flowing
with its branches and tributaries the AIRRBEA is an apolitical and independent
organisation having well-founded fraternity with the democratic and
like-minded organisations.
The AIRRBEA
was in leading part and was instrumental to causing co-ordinated joint movement
in RRB sector by all associations cutting across their political allegiance and
irrespective of cadre and status which contributed to formation of UNITED FORUM
OF RRB UNIONS popularly known as UFRRBU which is the common platform of RRBmen
for joint movement for their economic and social demands.
The AIRRBEA
is the major propagator for unity, consolidation, awareness and action for
social justice for all working force and downtrodden people. This objective in
view the AIRRBEA is relentless for struggle with cohesion and unison of all
members of working class.
The AIRRBEA
clamours with a clarion call to all RRBmen to assemble under the big umbrella
of AIRRBEA to create a world free of repression, oppression and injustice with
a new brightest horizon for all of us and to fulfil our demands:
·
Scrap Privatisation Bill 2014 –
Form State level RRBs under an apex body (NRBI/NABARD) delinking from existing
Sponsor Banks
·
Pension Scheme at par with Banking
Sector
·
Full Parity of all other Benefits,
Allowances & Service Regulations including Promotion/Recruitment Rules
·
Regularisation of all Casual,
Contractual & Daily-Rated Workers
·
Appointment on Compassionate
Grounds
·
Workers’ Participation in Management
·
Trade Union Rights – IBA to be
Negotiating Forum – Participation of Officers/Employees in the Board of
Directors of RRBs
We hope and
aspire that our united effort will enable us to overcome all odds and achieve
our demands in no time.
The
AIRRBEA is the Light-House of the RRB People.