Why the 1974 All-India Railway Strike Is Relevant Even Today
As the political establishment continues to devise anti-labour policies, the 47th anniversary of this historic strike should remind India that battles are still to be fought.
Protestors stop trains during All-India Railway Strike of 1974. Photo: Facebook/Dssrmu Chennai.
Rights08/May/2021
On May 8, 1974, 1.7 million employees of the Indian Railways formally began a strike that lasted for 20 days. Led by trade union leader George Fernandes, the strike was called to demand a need-based minimum wage, social security, such as food, the formalisation of jobs, an eight-hour daily work limit, a safety net against rising prices and the right of railway workers to dissent and negotiate.