51st YEAR OF 1968 SEPTEMBER 19th STRIKE
M.KRISHNAN
Secretary General, Confederation of Central Govt.
Employees & Workers
*******
2019 September 19th is
the 51st Anniversary of 1968 September 19th one
day strike. All leaders and workers who led and participated in that
historic strike have either retired from service or are no more.
The
indefinite strike of Central Govt. Employees in1960 was the first major strike
of Central Govt. Employees after independence. The five days strike
from 1960 July 11 midnight was brutally suppressed by the Central Government
declaring it as “Civil Rebellion”. The main demand of the strike was improvement and
modifications in the 2nd CPC recommendations. The Need Based Minimum
Wage, though adopted by the 15th Indian Labour Conference in 1957, was rejected
by the 2nd CPC.
The
Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) was constituted in 1966 by then Home
Minister Guljarilal Nanda, as per the decision of the
Government. The apprehension of the progressive leadership that this
negotiating machinery may not settle any major demands of the Central Govt.
employees and may become just a talking shop or a time killing business,
ultimately resulting in abnormally delaying the genuine demands, came true
within a year of its formation. In the very first meeting of the
National Council JCM, the following three demands were notified by the staff
side.
1. Grant of
Need Based Minimum Wage as approved by the 1957 Tripartite Labour Conference.
2. Merger
of DA with Pay
3. Revision
of DA formula
After
prolonged discussion for about one and a half year, disagreement was
recorded. As per JCM Scheme once disagreement is recorded, the item
should be referred to compulsory arbitration. But Govt. rejected the
demand for arbitration. Protesting against this arbitrary stand of
the Govt. the staff side leadership walked out of the JCM and decided to go for
one day’s strike. A Joint Action Committee was formed and the date
of the strike was decided as 19th September
1968. Even though, the INTUC affiliated organisations were initially
a part of the strike decision, later on they decided not to join the strike due
to the intervention of the then Congress Government headed by Smt. Indira
Gandhi.
The
following were the main demands of the strike charter of demands.
1. Need
Based Minimum Wage.
2. Full
neutralisation of rise in prices.
3. Merger
of DA with Basic Pay
4. Withdrawal
of proposal to retire employees with 50 years of age or on completion of 25
years of service.
5. Vacate
victimisation and reinstate victimised workers.
6. No
retrenchment without equivalent alternative jobs.
7. Abolition
of Contract and Casual Labour System.
Strike
notice was served and the Joint Action Council (JAC) decided to commence the
strike at 0600 AM on 19th September 1968. Intensive campaign was
conducted throughout the country. AIRF, AIDEF and Confederation was
the major organisations in the JAC. Govt. invoked Essential Services
Maintenance Ordinance (ESMO) to deal with the strike. Govt. also
issued detailed instructions to impose heavy penalty including suspension,
dismissal, termination, Break-in-service etc. on the striking
employees. Para-military force (CRPF) and Police were deployed to
deal with the strike. Central Govt. gave orders to all state
Governments to suppress the strike at any cost. It was a war-like
situation. Arrest of Leaders started on 18th September
itself. About 3000 employees and leaders were arrested from Delhi
alone. All over India about 12000 Central Government employees and
leaders were arrested and jailed.
Inspite
of all these brutal repressive measures the strike commenced on 18th after noon
itself at many places and was a thundering success all over India and in all
departments including Railway, Defence, P&T etc. About 64000
employees were served with termination notices, thousands removed from service
and about 40000 employees suspended. Seventeen (17) striking
employees had been brutally killed at Pathankot, Bikaner, Delhi Indraprastha
Bhavan and in Upper Assam lathi charge, firing by police and
military and by running the train over the bodies of employees who picketed the
trains.
Though
the strike was only for one day on 19th September 1968,
the victimisation and repression continued for days together. Struggle against
victimisation also continued including work-to-rule agitation, hunger fast of
leaders from 10th October 1968. There was
unprecedented support to the strike and relief work and also to agitation for
reinstatement of the victimized workers, from National Trade Unions, state
employees and teachers Unions / Federations etc. A mass rally was
organised before the residence of Prime Minister of India Smt.
Indira Gandhi on 17th October, 1968.
Kerala
was ruled by the Communist Govt. during the strike. Chief Minister
Com. E.M.S. Namboodiripad declared Kerala Govt’s full support to the strike of
Central Government employees. The Central Govt. threatened dismissal
of the Kerala Govt. for defying the Centre’s directive to suppress the strike.
1968
September 19th strike is written in red letters in the
history of Indian Working Class. The demand raised by the Central
Govt. employees - Need Based Minimum Wage - was the demand of entire working
people of India. Even today, the Central Govt. employees and other
section of the working class are on struggle path for realization of the Need
Based Minimum Wage. The demand of the Central Govt. employees to modify the
recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission to
ensure Need Based Minimum Wage is not yet conceded by the BJP-led NDA
Government. Even the assurance given by three Cabinet Ministers
including Home Minister, Finance Minister and Railway Minister regarding
increase in Minimum Pay and Fitment formula is not honoured by the Govt. even
after a lapse of three years and entire Central Government employees
feel cheated.
It
is in this background, last year we have celebrated the 50th year of 1968
September 19th strike all over the country in a befitting manner. On
the 51st anniversary of the historic strike, let us pledge that we shall
continue our struggle for realization of the demands raised by the martyrs of
the 1968 strike. Let us pay respectful homage to those valiant
fighters who sacrificed their life for the posterity. Let us salute
and honour all those who participated in the historic strike, especially those
who had been victimized severely for joining the strike.
Long Live 1968 September 15th strike
martyr.
Long
Live, Long Live....................
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