Friday, September 20, 2019
19th September Martyrs Day observed -- some more centres
Martyrs Day observed in Delhi by the CoC of Central Govt Employees - Delhi State
Ernakulam (Kochi) - Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram - Kerala
Palakkad - Kerala
Thursday, September 19, 2019
19th September - observed as Martyrs Day in various states
Today 19th Sept observed Martyrs Day by flag hoisting by Com. G K Gohain VP COC CG Assam, garlanding on Martyrs Column by Com. S. Rahman BP NCCPA followed by mass meeting addressed by Com. D K Debnath State General Secretary, COC CG employees and Workers Assam, Com G Talukdar Jt. Convenor, JCTU, Assam and Com. Sankar KR Das. The meeting organised by COC CG Employees and workers, Assam. Representative from NFPE, ITF,. AG, EPF and CG Pensioners Association, AIPRPA attended.
Implementation of todays program at GSI Complex - Hyderabad
DRDL - Hyderabad
Dak Sadan - Hyderabad
Com.Ajit Huparikar explaining the sacrifices of Martyrs at Survey of India campus - Hyderabad
Rich tributes paid to Martyrs and Felicitation to Com.R. Prabhakar
Nair, Com.G.Nagender Reddy and Com.S.Rajeswararao who participated in 1968
Sep'19 strike at AG office - Hyderabad
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Monday, September 16, 2019
Saturday, September 14, 2019
51st year of 1968 September 19th strike ............ Com.M.Krishnan
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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