CHAPTER- 10
DISCONTENTMENT MOUNTS OR 1946 STRIKE

The all India Postman and Lower Grade staff Union being dissatisfied with the Adjudicator’s Award called a meeting of the Council on the 22nd of June, 1946, and took a decision for serving the Govt. with strike notice. Accordingly, Shri. V G Dalvi served the Govt. with a 14 days strike notice and members of the Postmen and Lower Grade Staff of India struck work with effect from the 11th July 1946.

The All India Postmen and Lower Grade staff Union from the organisational point of view, was weak. It had not within its fold at that time more than 30% of the total strength as its members. Of the remaining 70%, the All India Postal and RMS Union was commanding 35%, the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Union had barely 5% of the staff as members and the rest 30% were unorganized. Although the Postman Union was not very strong in 1946, yet I feel no hesitation to say that the decision of the Union to launch a strike was a timely one. As the bulk of the Postmen and Cl.IV employees in Bengal and Assam were members of the All India Postal and RMS Union, the others who were members of the Postmen Union in Calcutta became hesitant and could not take a decision to join the strike without getting an assurance help from the other unions. The Bengal Assam Postal and RMS Provincial Union had to give an assurance of active help and co-operation firstly to see that the strike does not fizzle out and secondly to arrest the desertion of the union by its Postmen members who were found to be restive at that time. As has already been stated above in the entire circle excepting in Calcutta, Dacca, Chittagong and Shillong most of the Postmen and Lower Grade staff were members of the All India Postal and RMS Union. Even in those cities, the membership was divided amongst the three unions, viz Postmen and Lower Grade Staff Union, Postal and RMS Union and the Indian Posts and Telegraph Union. The Postmen Union in Calcutta arranged a meeting on the eve of strike to decide as to whether it should abide by the decision of its central union and join the strike. This meeting was held in the Arya samaj Hall and was attended not only by the Postmen and Class IV workers, but also by the clerks. The hall was fully packed. The organizers of the Postmen Union had invited the leaders of other P&T unions but I was not one of those fortunate invitees and so could not be on the dais. As an employee of the department I could not wait for an invitation specially at this critical hour. It was with great difficulty that I could take my stand in a corner of the packed hall and found Shri. Birendra Nath Ghosh, M.A.B.L Hony Secretary All India Postal RMS Union , Calcutta Branch and Shri. K.D.Roy Choudhary ,M.A.B.L Hon’y secretary, all India Postal and RMS Union, RMS Branch were already on the dais by the side of Shri. Rohini Ray, Bar-at-Law, the General Secretary of All India Postmen and Lower grade staff Union, Bengal Provincial Union. I could not guess as to what would be the stand of those seated on the dais. I was eagerly waiting for a chance to address the meeting. Shri.Ray and other leaders of Postmen Union addressed the meeting. Most of the speakers were found to be shaky and could not give a correct lead to the gathering. The whole house was found to be agitated and waiting a clarion call to join the strike. For the time being there was great pandemonium and the house became uncontrollable. It is strange enough for me that just at the time there was a demand from all corners of the house that B.N.Ghosh (myself) should be invited to address the gathering if I was present there. I made my way to the dais, addressed the gathering for an hour and issued a clarion call to join the struggle to a man. I do not boast it is a fact that I was able to carry the entire house with me. They cast cent per cent vote in favour of strike. The Chairman of the meeting declared the strike decision amidst loud cheers.
I on behalf of the Postal and RMS Union of Bengal and Assam held out an assurance to them that we would stand by them and would shortly follow suit. The result of this assurance was marvellous. The vast gathering at least for the moment forgot the difference between class III and Class IV employees and the house dispersed with slogans of “Postal Class III and Class IV Zindabad”.

As this was a strike in post war period when there was all round labour unrest due to higher cost of living and demobilization of war service workers and Britishers were showing reluctant to quit India, the public support and sympathy were with the strikers. All the leftist political parties and the trade unions stood by the workers but it has to be kept on record that shortly after the strike commenced, Dewan Chaman Lal , President of the Posts and Telegraph Federation began his anti-trade union activities and, if I remember it right, he issued the first press statement depreciating the strike launched by the Postmen Union and had the “goodness” to say that the Federation had no sympathy for the strike which had been declared illegal by the Govt. Shortly after this, Dr.Noronah General Secretary of the Indian Telegraph Association issued a similar press statement and Com. M A Jabbar , General Secretary, All India Posts and Telegraph Union , followed suit and issued a statement in the press against the strike.

Such anti trade union activities of three great leaders of the P&T movement upset me altogether and no other way but to call a press conference in Calcutta and issue a statement which runs as follows: “The strike launched by the Postmen and Lower Grade Staff Union is quite legal and we have every sympathy for them and none of the members of the Postal and RMS Union should work as a strike breaker by working in place of the strikers”. This statement of mine created enthusiasm in the workers throughout India and our members also became jubilant and began showing their eagerness to fall in with those who were already on the march.

There were developments in quick succession. The Postmen of Shillong who were members of Postmen and Lower Grade staff Union had gone on strike. The Dy.Postmaster General , Shillong range issued order on twelve Postmen of Sylhet which is the neighbouring district of Shillong, to proceed there and work in place of strikers. On the strength of the directive issued by me, they refused to go to Shillong and boldly defied the order and told the authorities that they were not prepared to act as strike breakers. All these officials were placed under suspension. Order was thereafter issued on 12 Postmen of Dhubri to proceed to Shillong but they also refused to carry out the order and had to share the same fate. The matter did not rest here. The Postal authority of Shillong range in their zeal for keeping the work of Shillong in a smooth running condition, ordered another batch of 12 Postmen from Gauhati to proceed to Shillong. They not only refused to go but lay down in front of the office and took a vow not to move unless the orders were cancelled. This news spread like wild fire and the Posts and Telegraphs workers of Bengal and Assam became greatly agitated and strike minded. (To be continued)

Procurement of equipments

The Joint Forum of BSNL Unions and  Associations met on  1st January 2010 and discussed the latest situation with regard to the development and expansion of BSNL services and connected matters. The cancellation of the 45.5 million mobile tender by BSNL has created a serious situation for BSNL with no mobile lines to provide. The company which was in the first position had gone down to the third position  in the mobile sector, while keeping its first position in landlines. Total market share has gone down to 16.38% from the earlier 20%. More lines have to be purchased urgently. Under these circumstances, the JF decided to organise the following agitational programmes demanding immediate tender and purchase of 93 million mobile line for expansion.

1.Telegram Campaign: Circle / District / Branch secretaries to send the following telegram to the Prime Minister so as to reach before 6th January 2010. To Shri Manmohan Singh Prime Minister New Delhi. ” KINDLY INTERVENE TO SAVE BSNL BY IMMEDIATE FINALISATION OF 93 MILLION GSM LINES” – Name of Circle/District Branch Secretary.

Memorandum to the Prime Minister

A Memorandum  dated 5th January 2010 was submitted to the Prime Minister with the same demands. It was signed by Comrades V.A.N.Namboodiri (BSNLEU), Convener, G.L.Jogi(SNEA), Suresh Kumar (BSNLMS), V.Subburaman (TEPU), B.R.Jhakatia(SEWA BSNL), Hukam Singh (SNATTA), and Devi Prasad (AIBCTES).

The JF leaders met Communications Minister A.Raja on 4th January and requested the intervention of the Minister to speed up the 93 million GSM tender.

Retrograde recommendations of Sam Pitroda committee

The retrograde recommendations of the committee headed by Sam Pitroda, former secretary DOT and telecom expert, raised sharp reactions from the workers. It proposed 30% disinvestment in BSNL, retrenchment of one lakh workers, unbundling of the copper cables, outsourcing of works etc. The Joint Forum conducted a detailed study and submitted its suggestions. In its meeting on 10th and 15th March 2010, JF discussed the issue in detail and decided to strongly protest and go on agitation.  The following programmes were decided:

1.One Day Dharna on 26-03-2010  2. Indefinite strike from 20-04-2010.

In order to bring NFPTE back in to JF ( which has discontinued from the JF some time back), the name of the JF was changed in to Joint Action Committee and the new office bearers were elected with Com. M.B.Vichare (NFPTE) as Chairman and Com. V.A.N.Namboodiri (BSNLEU) as Convener. NFTE was keeping away from the JF after the membership verification and all wanted no embarrassment to them while joining back.

Strike Notice served.

Strike Notice with the following demands were served on the BSNL Management on 23-03-2010 after a massive demonstration participated by hundreds of workers at corporate office. All over India, the demonstrations were participated by thousands.

1. Settle ITS Absorption issue.
2. No disinvestment, no privatization of BSNL
3. No retrenchment, No VRS
4. No unbundling of last mile copper and other infrastructure
5. No outsourcing
6. Immediate procurement of mobile lines
7. Ensure IDA Pension Revision to BSNL pensioners.
9. The strike notice was signed by Comrades V.A.N.Namboodiri(BSNLEU) Convener, N.T.Sajwani (NFPTE) Chairman,  K.Vallinayagam (FNTO), V.Subburaman (TEPU), Suresh Kumar (BSNLMS), G.L.Jogi (SNEA), S.P.Sharma (BSNLWRU), K.Anil Kumar (ATM), Sathyanarayana (AIBSNLEA), N.D.Ram (SEWA BSNL), Hari Singh (BTU BSNL), D.P.Patwa (AIBCTES) and H.P.Singh (BSNLOA).  (To be continued)

CHAPTER – VIII
GATEHERING STORM

Since the day of termination of war in the East, the Post and Telegraph workers of Bengal and Assam including those working in RMS C and N Divisions which were under the control of the P.M.G. Bihar and Orissa respectively, became restive. The apprehended disbandment from Defence of India Corps (P&T), a measure which would substantially reduce their monthly emoluments at a time which the cost of living was not only exorbitantly high but was continually going up and up so the discontentment were brewing. The officials in their large members throughout India who had been working in the P&T Department for years together as temporary staff apprehended from the department to make room for the war service candidate in whose favour orders were already issued by the Government, which created discontentment and dissatisfaction amongst them. The political situation in the country was uncertain and the Trade Unions were also making all efforts to consolidate the working class movement. The P&T movement in India specially in war affected areas like Calcutta and Bengal and Assam took a turn. Eight young Postal Officials of Calcutta started a Reorganisation Party with the object of revitalizing the P&T Trade Union movement by placing it on a democratic foundation and to win the objective through mass movement. Their small organization rapidly gained in strength by their activities which were of new type. They were able to spread magnetic influence over the entire youngsters of Calcutta and outside. The twelve mass meetings which they arranged in different Post Offices in Calcutta during October and November 1945 created mass enthusiasm amongst the workers. The last meeting which was held in Calcutta G.P.O on the 7-11-45 was memorable one. The rally was attended by thousands. Those who addressed the meeting issued a clarion call to the workers to be prepared for any sacrifice. I had occasion to address most of these meetings. One of our leaders had described the speeches delivered by some of the youngsters to be of highly explosive nature and declared that they were preaching sedition. The police took note of it. I had to defend those youngsters. I remember to have said “We do not believe in sedition but let it be noted by all present here that we no longer believe in petitions as well.” On the Eighteenth of December 1956 under the leadership of Shri.Kamble, the General Secretary of All India Postal and RMS Union, we met Shri.Krishna Prasad, the then D.G.P&T at Delhi and placed the demands for substantial increases in dearness allowances, specially in Bengal and Assam where the Defence of India Corps was disbanded with effect from the 30-11-45 and the staff were in extreme hardships. During the discussion with the D.G. P&T, I had occasion to tell him that we had gone to him for the last time like the five Pandavas asking for five villages only, viz, increase in dearness allowance, and if that would not be granted there would be Kurukshetra War. This threat even was of no avail. The All India Conference of Postal and RMS Union had already, under pressure of the progressive group in the Union, taken a militant programme and was preparing for the Hungry Badge Campaign. The reorganization party of Calcutta, whose membership had swelled to several hundreds, took decision to spread their activities throughout India and had actually issued leaflets to all parties of India. This reorganization party came into existence with the bold object in view, firstly to make the entire organization a democratic and a fighting institution to look after the welfare of the P&T workers and secondly to run it on trade union principles, not free from politics which is needed to secure full socio-economic justice for the workers. Anyhow, sometime after the Reorganisation party came in to existence, I found myself to be a member of the party, but I had no occasion to attend any of their executive meetings. Nevertheless I could feel that the eight persons who took initiative to organize the party belonged to three, if not four, distinct schools of thought and ideology, and yet could work together for a common purpose which was to turn the entire P&T movement in to a fighting organization. It is difficult to say what was going on in other parts of India but in Uttar Pradesh, the leaders of All India Postal and RMS Union were able to enroll a large number of Engineering workers as members of the U.P.T.R.(I), the new name given to the Postal and RMS Union . The leaders of the I.P.T.U in Madras presidency were trying to bring unification in the organization and in the movement through the newly established Federation. Rightly or wrongly from the very beginning due to various reasons I had my dislike for this federation. However our union leaders took a decision to make best uses of it. The President of the Federation Dewan Chaman Lal and many others leaders of other unions and a few in the All India Postal and RMS Union itself pleaded for suspending the Hungry Badge Campaign which was to be started on the 16th of February. I disagreed. Earlier the Director General of Posts and Telegraphs had threatened Bihar Union leaders with punishment for launching the Badge campaign. The All India Conference at Mymensingh had accepted the challenge thrown by the D.G.P&T to the Bihar Union leaders, it was therefore considered not to suspend the contemplated campaign but to go on with the programme without caring for the opposition. The Federation and the Postmen and Lower Grade Staff Union simultaneously served the Govt. with a strike notice on the 24th February 1946 on the demands for revision of scale of pay of post-31 officials only. The Government forth with referred the matter to Adjudication and Justice Rajadhyaksha was appointed Adjudicator. The terms of reference fixed by the Government was, “As to what little interim benefit could be given to the entrants”. On the 5th March, The Executive Committee of the Federation assembled at Western Court New Delhi. The All India Council of the Postmen and Lower Grade Staff Union had met separately on the very date to discuss and decide as to whether to accept the adjudication or not. The postman union’s decision was in favour of accepting the adjudication. The Federation followed suit. The General Council and the Executive Committee of all the federating unions also met at the time in Delhi. The Western Court Meeting of the Federation was attended by the representatives of all the unions. It was a gathering of eighty stalwarts. Dewan Chaman Lal and Shri D.K.Lahiri Choudhury influenced the house to adopt a similar resolution to that of the Postmen and Lower Grade Staff Union and accepted the adjudication. I was the singular person to oppose it and suggested for boycott of adjudication proceedings but could not carry the house and walked out of the meeting alone. The adjudicator was not appointed to adjudicate over the demands for which the strike notice was served. Hence it was irregular on the part of the Federation to accept it.

Earlier on the 7th February, 1946 the Central Legislature had adopted a non- official resolution urging upon the Govt. to appoint a Pay Commission for revising the pay scales of the entire Central Government Employees. This resolution was practically sponsored by the P&T Unions. The Government thereupon had announced its decision for appointment of pay commission. Efforts were thus made to check the movement from within and outside by adopting this two fold method. Despite, the P&T workers movement continued to progress.

The decision taken at the Western Court meeting in favour of accepting adjudication which was appointed not to consider the demands put forth in the strike notice but some other new issues and for withdrawal of strike notice created annoyance not only in the mass of the workers but also in a section of leaders which found exposition through my walking out of the meeting. The postmen union had taken earlier decision in favour of adjudication and cancellation of strike notice and their decision to some extent influenced the leaders of the Federation and the federating unions which had served strike notice separately, to take a similar decision. Besides the entire central leadership in the Federation and in the federating unions which from the very beginning never meant going on strike and was vacillating all through, took it as an additional plea for cancellation of strike notice. Among those who were against withdrawal of strike notice and were in favour of going Sahay Srivastava, Basanta K Chakravarthy were the prominent persons. I myself it goes without saying, shared the views held by Sri.Raj Bahadur and others and could be one of those who led the opposition. Shri.Sati Raman Prasad M.A.B.L, an eminent lawyer of Muzaffarpur who was then the General Secretary of the then Bihar and Orissa Provincial Branch of the All India Postal and RMS Union and was found in the first days’ meeting to associate with the opposition group, on the second day crossed the floor and joined hands with Sarbasree Dewan Chaman Lal , D.K.Lahiri Choudhry Dr.G Noronah P.C.Chatterjee, B .S Kamble and M.A Jabbar as it seemed opposed to direct action in any shape including “Hungry Badge Campaign”. While the mass of the workers who were under extreme economic pressure wanted to ameliorate their wretched service conditions and improve their economic life through trial of strength but the bureaucracy’s agents in the Unions and in the Federation were acting in a different way in the interest of the Govt, which was playing tactics anyhow to delay matters and ultimately kill the movement. (To be continued)