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Overview Achievements , What others said CBOO: A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF ITS GROWTH (1973-2006) The officers' movement in Corporation Bank completed 33 years in January 2006 Corporation Bank Officers' Organization spear-headed this movement. It has been a long journey marked by ups and downs, trials and tribulations, struggles, sacrifices, set backs, success and achievements. The movement started in 1973, when the officers' working conditions were dismal and a large number of officers who had come from the ranks found themselves without any organization to take up their issues collectively. There was no career path for officers; service conditions were not comparable with those in other banks; transfers had no rationale. Officers were sandwiched between a militant workmen group and a feudal management.
It was in this background that a group of spirited colleagues joined together and thought of starting a trade union of officers in the Bank. The idea received mixed response. A few like-minded officers joined to sign the memorandum on 29th October 1972 and form an ad hoc committee. The following were the signatories to the memorandum: 1. P.Devadas Mallya 2. B. Sadananda Shenoi 3. K. Premananda Rao 4. H. Dayananda Prabhu 5. M. Sridhara Kamath 6. K.Manjunath Kamath 7. K. Anantha Padmanabha Hegde 8. B.G.Raju 9. K. Narasimha Kamath 10. B.Srinivasa Baliga 11. K. Vaman Pai 12. G. Jayavantha Kumar 13. K. Ramaraya Hegde 14. V. M. Shenoi 15. U. Gopalakrishna Nayak
The committee made the groundwork and the Foundation Conference of Corporation Bank Officers’ Organization was held on 26th January 1973 at Srinivas Kalyan Mantap, Malleswaram, Bangalore.In this Conference P.Devadas Mallya was elected President and .K.Radhakrishna Pai was elected General Secretary. During the early years, CBOO assumed a low profile with persuasion as the main line of action. Several Joint Meetings were held between the Management and CBOO to improve the service conditions of the officers in the Bank. With a responsive and sympathetic Management, forward movement could be achieved on a few issues.
However, the national emergency between 1975-77 saw repression of CBOO and large-scale victimisation of leaders. The General Secretary was suspended; bilateral forum was disbanded and terrorism was let loose in the name of discipline. In 1977.M.A.Singaram Iyengar was elected General Secretary; but within a short time he was shifted to Kolkatta causing serious organisational problems.
From 1979 onwards started an organised revival. The Bank's nationalisation in 1980 enabled the Bank to join the mainstream banking and CBOO started asserting its trade union rights and play its legitimate role. The bilateral forum was revived in 1981. In 1984 a formal recognition was accorded to CBOO as sole bargaining agent for officers. Regular joint meetings were held. During the last 33 years over 75 such formal meetings have been held, apart from innumerable informal meetings.
At the organisational front, with effect from April 1981,there was stability in the leadership which enabled the organisation to consolidate.The organisation was lead by T.R.Bhat as General Secretary for 12 years and afterwards by K.Venugopal as General Secretary for five years till 1998.During these critical years which saw two serious agitations [1988 and 1996 ],these leaders were ably advised and supported by highly dedicated office bearers like, late N.Balasubramaniam, late C.Sadanandan, Prabhakar P. Suvarna, and M..Gourangadas.In 1998, D.N.Prakash took over as General Secretary and with T.R.Bhat continuing as the President. This period also saw serious IR crisis in 2002.
Over last 33 years CBOO has given a new direction to the officers' movement in the Bank; achieved better and comparable service conditions and benefits; secured a career path to the officers and brought a sense of belonging among the officers. CBOO has not only strived to improve the service conditions of the officers, it has involved itself continuously with the development of the Bank. At different forums and through communications the leadership of CBOO has called upon the members to contribute in all possible ways to the growth of the Bank. The members have wholeheartedly responded to the call of the Organization and this has contributed to the significant progress recorded by the Bank in the recent years. The Organization along with the Management of the Bank contributed immensely to build up a distinct work culture amongst the officers. If the Bank has developed a competent line-up of Managers and Officers over the years, CBOO has played a very effective role along with the Management in motivating the rank and file to contribute to the Bank's growth. Apart from this, periodical discussions were held between the Management and CBOO on matters pertaining to the Bank's business strategies. Several notes and letters were submitted to the Management on the issues affecting the bank's growth. CBOOs' relationship with the Management has been by far very cordial. Very rarely there were serious I R conflicts in the three decades history. There were only two strikes in over 30 years, one on 23rd December 1988 and another on 30th March 2001. CBOO has gone beyond conventional trade union activities. It has a well-organized Benevolent Fund started in 1982 through which financial grants and contingency grants are extended to the members and their dependents. The Benevolent Fund scheme introduced by us has been emulated by many other trade unions in the banking industry. CBOO has an active Women's Wing. Several programmes were arranged to attend to the problems of women in the bank. It was the first bank union to amend its byelaws in 1985 to provide for an elected office bearer representing women. CBOO has an Education & Training Wing which provides inputs to build skills, knowledge and aptitude among the staff for better efficiency in the job. The wing started in 1984 has been converted into a formal set up called Balasubramaniam Foundation for Education & Training in memory of one of CBOO's illustrious former Presidents, late N.Balasubramaniam. CBOO publishes a monthly journal called "Officers' Voice" which has been an inseparable and integral part of the Officers' Trade Union Movement in Corporation Bank. Started in July 1982, it has remained an effective instrument to express the views of the officers. CBOO has made it a practice to draw upon the knowledge, experience and wisdom of eminent personalities through lectures on contemporary issues. Persons of national eminence have participated in such programmes. A few names are: 1. Late Dr.P.R. Brahmananda, Eminent Economist 2. Dr.M.S.Swaminathan, Agricultural Scientist 3. Ms.Medha Patkar, Environmentalist 4. Mr.V.R.Krishna Iyer, Eminent Jurist 5. Dr.U.R. Rao, Space Scientist 6. Dr.Kasturirangan, Space Scientist 7.Swami Agnivesh, Social Activist In 1999, to commemorate its silver jubilee (1973-1998) as a measure of its involvement in social action CBOO set up a social action wing called ‘SWASTI’. This wing is wholly involved in various actions related to social problems. SWASTIs' actions are wide-ranging and dispersed in different states. Its activists identified and extended help to primary schools in the most backward areas of AP and Karnataka, support to home for the abandoned children and the aged; assisted the inmates of the home for the abandoned HIV infected children; provided support to institutions meant for the physically challenged. SWASTI has organized seminars, symposia and panel discussions on issues of social concern like social harmony, higher education, consumers’ rights and water conservation. For all these activities the members generously contribute financial support and physical help. At the national level CBOO is affiliated to All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC) which is an apolitical central trade union of bank officers. Over these three decades CBOO had two goals - to constantly improve the quality of life of the officers and to promote the quality of bank's human resources. In a large measure we have moved in these directions. It is pertinent to quote what Mr. M.V. Kamath, the reputed journalist says about CBOO in his book titled, ‘Corporation Bank: A Corporate Journey.’ Says he: “Over the years CBOO has given a clear direction to the officers’ movement and provided an effective instrument to translate into reality the aspirations of the bank’s officers.” While it has given a new direction to the officers' movement in the bank, others emulate many of its achievements in the bank and elsewhere. It is a positive thinking union, independent of all political or other ideologies. It has always been positive and believed in the collaborative role of a trade union. Equal emphasis is given to the social responsibility of a trade union. Its actions are inspired by the following prayer of the Rigveda:
Sangachchadhwam samvadadhwam samvo manaamsi jaanathaam Devaa bhaagam yathaa poorve samjaanaamupasathe
[ May we assemble and march forward with a common purpose May we confer together with open minds and work together harmoniously for common good; May we pool our thoughts for integrated wisdom, and work actuated by higher ideals. ]
To find more see separate section WHAT HAS CBOO DONE FOR OFFICERS DURING THREE DECADES?) |
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