Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent
AIFAP (All India Forum Against Privatisation) had organised an important meeting on an internet platform to commemorate the historic Railway Strike of 1974 and very importantly, to draw lessons that are relevant today.
The invited speakers were Shri Shiv Gopal Mishra, General Secretary, All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF), Com. K. C. James, Secretary General, All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA), Com. R. Elangovan, Former Working President, Dakshin Railway Employees Union (DREU) and President, Dakshin Railway Pensioners Union (DRPU) and Shri D. N. S. S. Rao, President, All India Railway Employees Confederation (AIREC).
Dr. A Mathew, the Convener of AIFAP and the Secretary, Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) welcomed all the speakers and participants and went on to give his Opening Address. We will highlight the important points made by all the speakers.
Dr. Mathew declared that though the strike in the IR (Indian Railways) in 1974 was the largest industrial action in the world, very few people know about it, because the ruling class, in its own interest, has blocked it out from the media that it controls. We salute the brave workers, who stood up for their rights against the tyranny of the state. The Congress Government under Indira Gandhi had used all the state agencies at its command, including the police and paramilitary who had resorted to intimidation, arrests of over 30,000 workers, torture, tear gassing and even firing against the workers as well as their families.
The strike was led by the NCCRS (National Coordination Committee for Railwaymen’s Struggle) that was formed in February 1974, to unite, coordinate and lead 125 unions of IR workers. The important thing was that within the NCCRS, all unions, big and small, had equal rights.
The strike was against low wages, extremely difficult working conditions including brutally long working days. Their main demands were that the railway workers should be treated as industrial workers, with 8 hour working day, wages in line with large industries and DA, to stop casual labour and give all of them same wages for same work. This strike had been preceded by that of loco pilots under AILRSA the previous year and also by the struggle of guards organised under AIGC (All India Guards Council).
Once the strike notice was given, the government took steps to try and keep the wheels of industry running (and thus to protect the capitalists’ interests). More goods trains were run at the expense of passenger trains. Instead of continuing talks with the leaders as it had promised, the government arrested them all.
Even with most of the leaders in jail, the rail workers unitedly participated across the country, bringing the entire train operations to a halt. To crush the strike the pay and ration of the workers was stopped. Railway colonies were turned into battlefields. Women and children came out in large numbers in several places to demonstrate their support, but they were brutally attacked, beaten and some were even raped. Their houses were destroyed. Curfew was imposed on the colonies.
The railway workers received support from large number of workers across India, who demonstrated and struck work. Finally, on 28th May, the strike was withdrawn. And yet the morale of workers remained high.
Dr. Mathew went on to highlight the lessons of the strike that are important for the working class today.
Though the workers were fighting for very basic and just demands, they were treated like enemies by the state. This shows that democracy in our country is only for the ruling class of capitalists. Remember how the government took steps to safeguard their interests before the strike!
Though the government betrayed its promise of holding talks, there is no provision whereby it can be held to account. We saw that even in the farmers’ agitation of 2021-2022, that claimed over 700 martyrs, the government has not implemented even one of its commitments, and there is no mechanism to hold it to its word.
Today also the workers of IR are beset by similar problems and different sections, the loco pilots, Track maintainers, Signals and Telecommunication workers, guards and so on are fighting for them, the authorities are not heeding their demands.
The 1974 strike showed how afraid the ruling class is of united actions by the working class. The reconstitution of NCCCRS was an important step taken in 2020. The need of the hour is to build committees at every level to lead the workers. There is also need to establish channels of communication between different sections of the working class so that we can truly implement our slogan, “An Attack on one is an attack on all!”
Shri Shiv Gopal Mishra congratulated the organizers of the meeting and all the participants for remembering this historic strike. He said that they have documented the strike in order to educate new workers about it. In the centenary celebrations of AIRF, they had honoured 13 workers who had participated in the 1974 strike, and it was an honour for AIRF to do so. They paid homage to the workers who were martyred in the struggle. In 1974 the wages of IR works were very low, and NCCRS united everyone.
Women gave full support to the striking workers and taunted those who were not on strike. Even the army could not demoralize the striking workers.
The 1974 strike led to the declaration of Emergency.
He declared that in reconstituting the NCCRS, they had included all unions who wanted to join. He urged everyone to forget past mistakes and unite. If the government does not agree to our demands, we will have to intensify our struggle. Strike is the last resort when all else fails. Though we have won some demands, the fight continues. Young workers should come together and unite.
Com. K. C. James pointed out that many struggles are occurring even today. While there are serious differences between different organisations, they do come together to fight.
In 1974 in Kerala they organized pickets in support of the strikers. NCCRS united everyone, and some demands were met, like casual labour was stopped and the working hours of LPs were reduced, at least on paper.
In 1974 there were 20 lakh workers, whereas now there are only a little over half. Since then railway traffic has increased many times, the trains are longer, engines of higher horsepower are being used. All workers of IR are overworked. So many track maintainers are getting killed. There is a serious lack of upgrading of systems. For slight mistakes, workers are removed from service.
There is a big push towards privatisation of the railways. Now private contractors engage 8 lakh contract workers, whose wages are very low. Railway assets are being given to private corporations. Without their making any investment, the assets of the IR are being handed over to the private companies on lease. The IR is creating infrastructure and handing it over to them. Now they want to hand over complete sections. New corporations are being formed. For instance, freight corporation workers are not considered to be IR workers and their wages are lower.
Com James outlined the lessons for today. Unity needs to be built. NCCRS has to be built at the zonal and division levels. All organisations of NCCRS must be given equal status. Without this, an All India Railway strike is not possible. Determined efforts to unite organisations and workers need to be made. AILRSA will do its best to build unity, he concluded.
Com. Elangovan expressed gratitude for organizing the meeting on lessons of the strike. He declared that the situation in the IR and in the Central government is similar and there is need of another strike.
The main issues that the NCCRS should take up are firstly against privatisation. Today there are 8 lakh contract workers in the IR, who should be regularized. As per the National Railway Plan, all goods trains are going to be privatized, as also the profitable passenger trains.
Secondly, out of the 12 lakh IR workers, 8 lakh fall under the New Pension Scheme (NPS), as do 26 lakh Central Government employees. The pension under NPS is highly inadequate, there is no guaranteed amount of pension, and there is no DA. The Joint Forum for Restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (JFROPS) was formed and gave a strike call. A strong unity is required.
He went on to give details of the victimization during the 1974 strike and during the Emergency. He declared that the NCCRS should have continued to be active. Rail unions were left without leadership. all recognized and unrecognized unions were part of the earlier NCCRS and had equal status. That is needed now. Similarly, in JFROPS, unrecognized unions should be included.
He emphasized the need for unity and said that for both NCCRS and JFROPS, committees should be formed at the zonal, divisional as well as branch levels.
Shri D. N. S. S. Rao had a problem with his internet, so Shri Nazmul Islam from his organisation was asked to express their views. Everyone was very happy that he kindly obliged, as he had taken part in the 1974 strike. Shri Islam emphasized the need to learn from the past experience. The government’s brutal behaviour was a shock to many participants at that time.
He said that the work culture is changing now. We should not be discouraged by attacks, but learn and prepare for future actions.
Later on, when Shri D. N. S. S. Rao’s internet was restored, he pointed out some very important lessons of the 1974 strike. The second rung leadership should be trained and prepared to take charge if when the main leadership is arrested. Also, NCCRS organizations need to be built up at the zonal, divisional, branch bad department levels as well to lend strength to future strikes.
After all the speakers, the floor was thrown open for interventions. Many speakers gave their valuable inputs.
The participants who were not IR workers talked about educating the passengers and organizing them to support the workers. This needs to be done across the board so that the working class can unite and play a decisive role in the future.
In one intervention it was strongly pointed out that while we fight for our immediate demands, we should also fight with the perspective of replacing the rule of the capitalist class by that of the working class and other toilers.