Railway strike of 1974
Topic: The Emergency (1975-77) and the Crisis of Democratic Order · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 6 "The Crisis of Democratic Order"
Meaning
The railway strike of 1974 was a nationwide strike by railway employees in May 1974. A committee led by George Fernandes called it. The workers wanted a bonus and better service conditions, meaning the rules on their pay and work. The government declared the strike illegal, arrested its leaders and sent the Territorial Army to guard railway tracks. The strike matters because it raised a hard question: should workers in essential services (services the country cannot run without, like the railways) be allowed to strike?
Example
The strike was called off after 20 days without any settlement. It showed how much workers were angry in 1974 and how firmly the government was ready to deal with protest, about a year before the Emergency.
Don't confuse with
- Bihar movement: a student protest in 1974 against prices and corruption, led by Jayaprakash Narayan. The railway strike was a protest by workers about pay and service conditions, led by George Fernandes.