Home                                                       1968 Strike                                                   .

        JCM has been setup after 1960 Strike. According to JCM Scheme pay and allowances, hours of work and leave are compulsorily arbitrable issues. The demand for need base minimum wage and full of neutralisation of price rise in the form of revised DA formula were raised, disagreement recorded, but govt. refused to refer the issues before board of arbitration. Joint council of action with Peter Alvares was revived. Decision for one day token strike on 19th September 1968 was taken. During the preparation Com. Priya Gupta and Basawan Sinha toured extensively. Com. Peter Alvares held meeting at dead of night at Bongaigaon Railway Station, Mariani and other places in N.F.Railway.

        The Government promulgated Essential Service Maintenance Ordinance and amended Railway Act and let loose oppression and terror.

        The Strike was total and peaceful.  On 18th September many leaders were arrested. Police opened fire on the peaceful demonstrators. 

        Besides in many places comrades were arrested, removed  from service, suspended and charge sheeted.

                The recognition of an affiliate namely N.F.Railway Mazdoor Union  was again withdrawn but again the same was restored by an order of Hon`bl High Court, Guwahati. Com. Nathpai, MP, HemBarua, Lakhan Lal Kapoor, MPs rocked the parliament. Ultimately all victimisation were vacated and normalcy restored.  

       Home                                      HISTORIC STRIKE OF 1974 

                                                                                                 Rakhal Dasgupta
                                                                                          Asstt.General Secretary

         The All Indian Railwaymen’s  Federation (AIRF) in its Annual Convention  held at Secunderabad  from 15^th – 19^th October,1974 expresses its serious concern on the  rejection of demand for parity in wages of Railwaymen with  other Public sector undertaking by the 3^rd Central Pay Commission  headed by Justice Reghubar Doyal and decided to call for a decisive   action to achieve the demand along with demand for Bonus, decasualisation of casual labour , full neutralization in   the cost of living by granting appropriate Dearness Allowance etc. The Convention took a programme of action.   As follow up the General Council meeting  of AIRF was held at Nagpur from 6-7 February ,1974. According to the decision of General Council meeting the National Convention of Railway was held at Delhi on 27-28 Feburary/1974 and National Coordination Committee For Railwaymen’s Struggle (NCCRS) was formed. All India Demand Week was observed from 2-8 April,1974. Finding no response of the Government a Convention of Representatives of All Central Government Employees were held at Delhi on 15^th March,1974. The meeting decided to serve strike notice by all constituent organisation of NCCRS thorough out the Country on 23^rd April, 1974. An Indefinite Strike was decided to be commenced from   06-00 hrs. of 8^th May, 1974.

             Accordingly NCCRS was also formed at Zonal and Branch level in N.F. Railway.

           Com. Priya Gupta  went under ground to lead the struggle. He was  in  Vital Bhai Patel Complex. At midnight. He used to get call from different corners of the country and passed necessary guidance. He was also having contact with the leaders lodged in Tihar Jail, Delhi through Mrs. Laila Farnandes When signed proposal for withdrawal of Strike came from the Tihar Jail  Com. Priya Gupta opposed the unconditional withdrawal. He could hear the voice of a lady worker stating  that  strike was complete  in their area so the strike  should not be withdrawn.   After withdrawal of strike when he visited Dibrugrah it was detected that the lady worker was Mrs. Dolna Chattarjee only. The Strike was however, withdrawn on 27^th May’74.

          10,329 permanent  employees were dismissed/removed from services and services of 5629  temporary employees were terminated.   In spite of so much of  victimization the moral of the people were high and  a few others who acted as stooge of the Government for breaking the strike were hiding themselves. 

            It will be pertinent  to point out that the P & T employees organisation also called for a indefinite Strike from 10^th May. But the same was unconditionally withdrawn on 13^th May. On 15^th May  Bharat Bandh was called by Central Trade Union organisations except INTUC  in support of Railwaymen’s strike   and  the strike was successful.

          After withdrawal of strike those people lodged in different jails were released from custody and reinstatement of employment started in a slow speed. There were number of meetings and discussions on the matters of reinstatement of dismissed/removed/discharged employees at different levels. I could not but  point out last two occasions of such meetings of reinstatement. Once Guptada along with  myself  went to Sri B.D. Pandey, Cabinet Secretary to seek his intervention in the matter of   reinstatement of dismissed/removed employees. He  started talking that strikers were anti-national. This was resorted by Guptada and   I cited that person like R.D. Banerjee, Station Master, New Mainaguri had been dismissed from service  for participation in strike and so far Com. Banerjee was concerned he was the man who brought  Railway Cash of Rs. 26.00 Lakhs from Rangpara North  and dropped 15 cash bags empty cash safe at Amingaoan & brought the same to Pandu on 23^rd November, when there was mass scale exodus of Civil Population, Tezpur district Jail was opened and criminals even freed and currency Notes were burnt by Deputy Commissioner, Tezpur (now Sonitpur).

             An another occasion when  we met Sri Kamalapati Tripathi then Railway Minister in his  chamber in connection with reinstatement of  dismissed  employees. Sri Tripathi said that “   Change your President.” Immediately Priya Gupta replied that “ Panditji  if I tell you to change your leaders then how do you like it”. Tripathiji replied you people wanted it very much. Guptada replied back “  Your leader is choice of your party simultaneously our leader is our choice not yours.  This reply silenced Tripathiji. ( At that  time President, AIRF was George Fernandes   and immediate after  declaration of Internal Emergency he went underground).

                  However, on the  formation of Janata Government  Com. Madhu Dandavete took over as Railway Minister on 27^th March, 1977 and very next Day on 28^th March, 1977 while presenting the  Vote-on-account on  Railway budget  on the floor of Lok Sabha he declared

                     “ All the Railway employees who were either suspended or dismissal as a  equal to their   participation in the Railway strike in May, 1974 will be reinstated unconditionally”.

             Accordingly order was issued on 6^th April/1977 fixing target 30^th April/1977 for their implementation the entire instruction in toto and it was further advised to intimate its full compliance on 1^st May ,1977. It was also mentioned  in the said order that any clarification can be  sought on telephone and any delay by any authority for its full implementation by 30^th April/1977 would be viewed seriously  and individual would be  accountable for its compliance.

          Thus all the persons dismiss/removed/suspend were reinstated back in their former place of posting including these who were transfer after reinstatement before theissues of the order and all punishment were cancelled. Gradually demands were considered.

           When Indira Gandhi declared Internal Emergency she cited two reasons for the same – one J.P’s movement and the other situation created after 1974 strike of Rly. employees. So, the contribution of the sufferings of Rlymen and their family members during 1974  Rly. strike  could bring a change in the monopoly of governing the country by the Congress.