On the eve of 19th September,2015 to commemorate the memory of 1968

" THE GRAVES OF THE MARTYRS HAVE GIVEN US A CALL,

ONLY THOSE, CAPABLE OF PLAYING WITH THEIR LIVES,

SHOULD COME FORWARD.

ON ONE SIDE ARE THE WORLDLY COMFORTS,

THE BLISS OF MARTYRDOM IS ON THE OTHER.

IT IS A BARGAIN, CHOOSE WHATEVER YOU MAY”.

 On 19 th September in 1968 our predecessors participated in Nation wide One Day’s strike. Most important demands were as follows:

CAUSE	EFFECT
Raise the increment rate.	Recognition of 205 unions were derecognised by The Govt. of India.
Need based minimum wage.	Death of 15 Strikers, Hundreds injured.
100% compensation for price rise.	1,00,000 temporary workers were dismissed from service.
Merger of DA with Basic Pay.	DA issue was referred to 3rd CPC and ultimately thereafter, a formula was decided.
Proposal for retirement after service up to 50 years of age /25 years of service to be scrubbed.	10,000 workers were summarily dismissed from service.
Abolition of contractual and casual labourer system.	22,000 workers were arrested.

But they did not achieve any of the demands even after the Strike. But subsequently we achieved many of those demands after a long time and that is also at the cost of death and atrocities of our Central Govt. workers, which we are still enjoying. We salute those great comrades of ours who through the sacrifice of their lives on that auspicious day and on that historic occasion of 48^th year of 19^th September, 1968 Strike, have still been inspiring us.

 We pay our respectful homage to the memory of those martyrs who made the ultimate sacrifice for the great causes of ours and enabled us to breathe and live and grow as free and responsible workers with our heads held high with dignity.

It is necessary to realise the gains of our struggles, so dearly won, must be safe guarded, and safe guarded by our commitment to the great values.

Victimization figures in the P&T Strike in 1968 were as follows:

No. of temporary employees served with the notice of the termination	24848
No. of permanent and quasi permanent employees suspended following arrest/ prosecutions under Section 4 of ESMO	1073
No. of permanent/ quasi permanent employees suspended following arrest/prosecution for offences other than under section 4, ESMO	2088
No. of employees suspended under Rule 18 (i) (ii) of CCS (CCA) Rules in connecyion with the strike	1189

But the sprit of the Central Govt/ P&T workers could not be subdued by such atrocities and tortures as was evident from the strikes of 1974,1991,1993,1996,1998,2000,2008,2010,2012,2013 and 2014also.

The Nationwide strike of 2nd September, 2015 was  a historical step towards that direction.

AMAR SAHIDON KO LAL SALAM.