24TH NOVEMBER 2021
67TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FORMATION OF NATIONAL FEDERATION OF P & T EMPLOYEES (NFPTE)/ NFPE,
24th November 2021 is the 67th Anniversary of the formation of National Federation of P & T Employees ( NFPTE), the mighty organisation which organised many historic struggles along with Confederation, raising the just and reasonable demands of Central govt employees.
NFPTE was formed in 1954 by merging all existing unions in P&T Department. Unions in P&T were formed as early as the first decade of 20th century and organised many struggles in the first two decades and achieved important demands. Babu Tarapada Mukherjee, Henry Barton and V.G.Dalvi were the founding fathers of the three main unions. Some of these leaders also were part of formation of AITUC, the first Trade Union in the country. The epic 22 days struggle of P&T workers in 1946 in which the British rulers were compelled to concede all the demands raised, is considered as part of Independence Struggle.
Formation of NFPTE in 1954 and Confederation of CG Employees in 1956 gave a new life to the Central Govt Employees movement. The result was the magnificent strikes of 1960 and 1968 in which a number of comrades became martyrs for the cause of the working class. The main demands were need based minimum wage and DA according to cost of living index.
The second demand is achieved and struggles continue for the first. Of course, much improvement have taken place and the demand is now raised by the entire working class.
The heroic strike of 1974 was another mile stone. The railway workers were the real heroes who fought till the last. The strike was brutally suppressed by the government, but the demand of was achieved by 1979.
Comrades Dada Ghosh, O.P.Gupta, K.G.Bose,P.S.R.Anjaneyulu, N.J.Iyer, K.Adinarayana and many others led the movement through those difficult times.
Consequent to bifurcation of P&T Department, NFPTE was bifurcated in to NFPE and NFTE in 1986. The history of both is also that of struggles, although vacillation took place sometimes.
Since 1991, both the UPA as well as NDA govts had aggressively taken the disastrous path of globalisation, privatisation and liberalisation causing more and more misery to the people. Public Sector Units are being privatised. The present Modi Govt has declared that ' business is not the business of the govt' and is selling the PSUs to corporates for a song. Rights of workers are being curtailed. Working class as well as Kisans are on struggles for existence. P&T workers are also part of this great struggle.
On this 67th anniversary of NFPTE we salute all those leaders and workers who lived and showed a dedicated and militant path for the future generations. Red Salute to those martyrs who sacrificed their valuable lives so that the future generations may live a better life. V.A.N.Namboodiri
NFPTE
- An organization inspiring thousands!
National
Federation of P&T Employees was really a historic organization founded on
24th November 1954! The plan of realignment proposed by Union Government to
dilute the militancy of UPTW and Postman union was used to unite all workers of
P&T with retention of militancy! Many leaders of NFPTE were legends and we
were lucky to be led by those historic leaders. NFPTE naturally was the
vanguard of CG employees movement and its basic role in foundation of
Confederation of CG Employees and Workers in 1956 cannot be forgotten by any of
us! Many struggles launched by NFPTE were historic! Though divided into two
segments, the legacy of militant movement of NFPTE and its former militant and
revolutionary UPTW & Postman Union as well as the fathers of P&T TU
movement Babu Tarapada Mukherjee and Henry Parton was not compromised by us
even today! Long live the memory of NFPTE! - KR GS AIPRPA
No comments:
Post a Comment