Com.S.Chandrasekharan, veteran leader of the P&T Trade union movement and former Asst. General Secretary of Administrative Union passed away to day at Chennai. He was at present working in CITU, Chennai. He was 80.

He was one of the leaders who was in the forefront fighting against the reformist policies of the NFPTE leadership. He was circle Secretary of both Administrative Offices Employees Union as also Line Staff Union, Chennai. He organised the Central Government employees movement there. Perhaps he and Com.A.K.Veeraraghavan might be the leaders who organised the Casual & Contract workers for the first time. For this and his other trade union activities, in In 1977 he was compulsorily retired from service. But due to sustained efforts of the union he was reinstated. In 1979 he took voluntary retirement for full time trade union work and started working in CITU.

He was well studied and used to take regular trade union classes for the workers. He was always with the workers and for solving their problems.

I had close association with Com.Chandrasekharan. After his retirement, I met him in the CITU office Chennai. When I came, he was sitting on an old wooden bench and taking classes to some workers who were sitting on the floor on a mat. When he saw me the class was stopped for a few minutes and we exchanged greetings and spoke for some time. Then he continued with the class.

He was  discussing a case with his advocate today evening when all of a sudden there was serious heart attack and he succumbed to the same within minutes.

He has got two daughters and one of them is working in BSNL. I contacted the family and conveyed my heartfelt condolences.

Red Salute to Com. Chandrasekharan !