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February 27, 2011
Page: 6/41
Home > 2011 Issues > February 27, 2011
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48 years of Bharatiya Railway Mazdoor Sangh
A fight for the cause of railway employees
By Mahesh Kumar Pathak
BHARATIYA Railway Mazdoor Sangh (BRMS) is today a premier organisation
fighting for the cause of railway employees since the last 48 years.
Formed in 1962 at Gorakhpur as a unit of North Eastern Railway employees
the organisation was duly registered in 1965. After the formation of
zonal units, an umbrella organisation under the banner of Bharatiya
Railway Mazdoor Sangh was formed in Agra on December 24, 1965. Its first
convention was held in Mumbai from May 26 to 27, 1966.
The BRMS was formed purely on the nationalist thinking.
Although, two already recognised unions were active among railway
employees-All India Railway Men’s Faderation (Hind Mazdoor Sabha) based
on leftist socialist ideology and the National Federation of Indian
Railway (NFIR) as a unit of Congress party. But none of them was
basically serious to the well being of the railway employees.
When I look back at the journey of BRMS I find many exclusive
milestones in it. The country has not forgotten the historic railway
strike of 1974. The decision to call the strike had to be taken when all
the efforts of dharna, demonstration and dialogue failed to produce any
positive result on six major demands of the employees. A national
committee for this objective was constituted at the national convention
in New Delhi on February 27, 1974. All the railway employees’
organisations, excluding the INTUC, extended full support to the
committee. Shri George Fernandes, the then president of All India
Railway Men’s Federation was appointed convenor of the Joint Morcha for
Struggle. Apart from the representatives of different railway employees’
organisations, Shri Gajanan Rao Gokhle as working president and Shri
Manohar Pathak as organising secretary, represented the BRMS. The
Railway Ministry was given an ultimatum either to accept the demands of
the employees before April 10, 1974 otherwise they will be forced to go
on strike. Prominent demands of the employees included salary equal to
the employees of leading PSUs like BHEL, SAIL etc., dearness allowance
in every six months and bonus. It is to be noted that the demand of
bonus was exclusive raised by the BRMS and the representatives of other
unions then ridiculed it.
When all rounds of dialogue failed, the strike was finally
called on May 8, 1974. The government arrested Shri George Fernandes on
May 2 itself in order to foil the strike. Many other senior workers too
were arrested. But the BRMS workers played a key role in continuing the
fight. All atrocities by police and army failed to foil the strike.
Since the demand of bonus was primarily made by the BRMS, it
continued its fight for it. Hundreds of workers, under the banner of
Uttar Railway Karmachari Union staged a day long dharna for it outside
the residence of the then Union Finance Minister Ch. Charan Singh. But
the result was zero. The fight continued. Meanwhile, the BRMS decided to
call an indefinite strike from December 20, 1979. The notice for the
strike was served in advance. When the news spread all over the country,
those who used to ridicule this demand, also got alerted. Meanwhile Ch.
Charan Singh became the Prime Minister and on November 13, 1979 he
announced bonus for railway employees on the basis of production. After
this announcement, the BRMS withdrew the call for strike.
The BRMS also fought for recognition to railway unions. For the
first time the British Government had recognised a union (AIRF) in 1925
on the basis of 10 per cent membership. After Independence, Sardar Patel
granted recognition to another union (NFIR) in 1949. But this time the
percentage of membership rose to 15 per cent. Later, it was fixed 30 per
cent following the suggestion of the Railway Reforms Committee. The
unions which got the recognition took it as lifetime recognition. The
facilities that they enjoyed after getting the recognition made them
lazy and it also reduced their interest in resolving the problems of the
railway employees. The fighting spirit in the unions also vanished. But
the BRMS continued its fight and became very popular all over the
country. Despite qualifying all the criteria for recognition, the rail
administration continued to ignore it. It may also be due to the
pressure of both the already recognised unions.
The BRMS presented a memorandum to the then Railway Minister
Shri Madhu Dandawate on May 9, 1979 demanding secret ballet. The BRMS
staged a massive demonstration outside the Railway Ministry in New Delhi
on May 8, 1979. The BRMS continued its fight. On June 26, 2002 the
Railway Ministry directed all the General Mangers to grant recognition
to BRMS affiliated unions. It was informed to the BRMS through a letter
on June 28, 2002. But both the earlier recognised unions went to the
court where the mater remained hanging in balance. Finally, the mater
went to the Supreme Court which on March 8, 2004 directed the Railway
Ministry to conduct secret ballet. But the Railway Ministry continued to
ignore the apex court’s directives. After some time the BRMS again took
the matter to court and the court on March 22, 2007 issued clear
directions to the Railway administration to conduct elections within six
months. Finally, the administration had to issue notification for
secret ballet. The elections were held on November 26, 27 and 28 2007.
Many attempts were made to postpone the elections. But the BRMS was
infavour of introducing democracy in the railways at any cost. The BRMS
finally won in two zones and NFIR (INTUC) lost in seven zones. The
credit for introducing secret ballot in the Indian railways also goes to
the BRMS. Our fight for the cause of the railway employees will
continue in the same spirit as we have been fighting till now.
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