Tomorrow, 19th September 2013, is the 44th Anniversary of the great struggle organised by the lakhs of Central government Employees in 1968 on the just demands of Need Based Minimum Wage and other issues.
The Indira Gandhi Government used the draconian Essential Service Maintenance Act (ESMA) to suppress the one day strike. Thousands of central government employees were arrested and jailed. Leaders and workers were terminated, suspended and dismissed. But the workers went on strike and made it a big success. It took more than three years to get the dismissed and terminated comrades to be taken back. But the harsh victimization continued.
All those workers who participated in the strike are now retired from service. But their sacrifice and commitment to the union will be remembered by the future generation.
As a comrade who was part of this historic strike and had to face the severe victimization along with thousands of other comrades, I still feel that only such struggles and sacrifices had built up the present organisation.
My Red Salutes to all those who were part of the Historic Strike!