I am going through the old records of NFPTE, including its journal, P&T Labour and the all India journals of the affiliated unions, for preparing the P&T TU History. In fact, I was surprised by the  systematic and well oiled functioning of the Federation and the unions.

The All India Conferences were being held every year as also Federal Council. A large number of Federal Executive Committee meetings  are held in which the NFPTE Office-bearers and General Secretaries participate. NFPTE and most of the All India Unions functioned in the same rented building, ‘P&T House’, in Pusa Road. The journals are regularly published. Not only the issues of the P and T workers, but general issues of the people are also included.

The  minutes of the committee meetings and conferences are well documented in the journals. The names of the speakers and what they spoke are given in nut shell. In the case of elections and contests, the proposals, the names of the proposers and seconded, the votes received etc. etc. are given in detail. It must have been a herculean task to prepare all these things.

Accounts were published every month in the journals, so that the members can understand the financial position of the union/Federation. Parliament discussion on P&T and Central Government employees issues were published in detail. It also included the branch/circle union reports. Photoes were not much, but whatever were there, were good ones.

Manual composing, proof reading and printing might have taken a good time of the leaders. From the accounts, one can see that the Federation/Unions were functioning with limited funds.

NFPTE had close connection with many trade unions outside India. It was affiliated to Posts, Telegraph, Telephones, International(PTTI). Some of the Presidents of the all India Unions and Federation were ‘outsiders’, who were Members of Parliament/Trade union leaders.

Many more things can be mentioned about the systematic functioning of the Union. I am writing the above taking note of the functioning during the few years after the formation of NFPTE.

Naturally, NFPTE was looked upon that time as a mighty organisation of the workers. I got inspired by the massive struggles organised by NFPTE including the 1960 Five Days Glorious Strike.