60 EVENTFUL YEARS - PART 2 Saga of Struggles

13.05.1971 General  Insurance  Nationalized 15.10.1971 An Agreement on promotion Policy Signed between AIIEA & LIC Management. But some vested interests scuttled it and the LIC  Management also reverted its stand  in the Court. 08-11.12.1971 7th  All  India  Conference  at  Madras. Com Rajini Patel and  Com Saroj Chowdhri  elected  as  President  and  General Secretary Jun-72 Agreement for 10 % Bonus  signed 1972 General  Conference  of  AIIEA  at  Chennai 1973 Charter submitted 31.12.1973 Negotiations broke down 09.01.1974 Delhi, Madras, Bangalore and  Patna Divisional  Offices  &  Machines Department of Dharwad DO  Locked out 10.01.1974 Continuous Strike commenced  in places    where there is Lock Out   and  Intensifying of  Work to Rule in other places 11.01.1974 Union Labour Minister K.V.Raghunandha Reddy   flew to    Calcutta  for discussion with AIIEA  Leaders 13.01.1974 Meerut  Divisional  Office Locked Out 13.01.1974 Tripartite Discussion started at Newdelhi 16.01.1974 Entire Dharwad Division Locked Out. 24.01.1974 Historic Agreement  signed at 10.30 pm  Lock Out Lifted 06.07.1974 Central Government came out with Ordinance on Wage Freeze 100 % of Increased Wage & 50 % of D.A  Freezed 28.08.1974 All India  Convention of Trade Unions against Wage Freeze as suggested  by AIIEA  16-19.12.1974 8th  General  Conference  of  AIIEA  at  Newdelhi.  Com Chandra sekhar Bose  became  the   President  while   Com Saroj Chowdhri was elected as General  Secretary 26.06.1975 Emergency declared in India 25.09.1975 Ordinance on Bonus promugulated 25.09.1975 Bonus  Ordinance Issued 26.09.1975 LIC  issues  Circular to stop Bonus Payments  to retires & death cases. Oct 75 to Jan 76 AIIEA  Protests  Management  Action Feb 76 LIC  Management again reiterates its circular 31.03. 1976 LIC  Modification Bill  to scuttle  Bonus  was placed in  Parliament and  withdrawn due to protest. 01.04.1976 The same bill placed again 22.04.1976 AIIEA  Filed  Writ Petition  in  Calcutta  High Court 05.05.1976 All India Protest Day 21.05.1976 Calcutta High Court Judgement in our favour as Bonus is the  property of Employees under article 31 of Constitution 29.05.1976 Government passed LIC  Modification Bill as Act  in hurry. LIC  Management appeals  that in view  of the act, Bonus can not be paid, 09.06.1976 AIIEA  files writ petition  in  Calcutta High Court against  the  Act  and subsequently  in  Supreme Court November 1976 Supreme Court asks the parties to negotiate 1977 There  is a big political  change  in the Country.  Indira Gandhi & Congress Party was defeated  in the elections. Janatha Party  formed New Government with Morarji Desai as Prime Minister. 04.11.1977 Again a discussion with Finance Minister.  Janatha Party which walked out against the Bill is now trying  to save it after coming to power. It  exposed  the  class character of  Capitalist  Parties. AIIEA  took up the line that there cannot be no question to  re negotiate a negotiated settlement. 5-10.01.1978 Silver Jubilee Year 9th  General  Conference at  Calcutta  was  inaugurated  by  Com Jothi Basu, Chief Minister, West Bengal. Com Chandrasekhar Bose &  Com Saroj  Chaudhri  elected  as  President  &  General  Secretary. 28.02.1978 Supreme Court  Gives Judgement in our  Favour. Bonus  for  the   years 75- 76, 76-77,77-78  were  made 1978 LIC  serves  notice for  withdrawal  of  1974    settlement itself. 1978 AIIEA  Moves  to  Supreme  Court 1980 Com Sunil Moithra, Joint  Secretary, AIIEA    who  contested  Calcutta  North  East  Constituency    as  a  CPI(M) candidate  defeated  Central  Minister   Ajit Kumar Panja and became Member of  Parliament. He  also  functioned as Chairman of    Public Accounts  Committee 10.11.1980 Supreme  Court  Judgement  in  our  favour 28.12.1980 to 31.12.1980 10th  General  Conference  at  Bombay.  Com Chandrasekhar Bose &    Com Saroj  Chaudhri  elected  as    President  &  General  Secretary. 31.01.1981 Government Ordinance  against  LIC  Employees 02.02.1981 Notification withdrawing  Bonus 03.02.1981 and 04.02.1981 48 Hours  Strike  protesting  Ordinance 05.02.1981 One Day Strike  against  Notification 23.02.1981 Government  introduces  Bill in  Parliament. 24.02.1981 One Day Strike against the Bill 11.03.1981 and 12.03.1981 48  Hours Strike against  the  Bill 02.04.1981 Continuous  Strike  for  Bonus  Commences 02.04.1981 Supreme Court Passes  Order  against  Notification  to  pay  Bonus. 15.04.1981 Supreme  Court  Issued  Final  Order  to  pay  Bonus  to  the  Employees 15.04.1981 Supreme  Court  Issued  Final  Order  to  pay  Bonus  to  the  Employees 16.04.1981 Employees  returned  to  duty April 1981 Government invoked  Presidential Reference to seek opinion. Presidential Reference was earlier  used  only  6 times and that Too  only  in  Rare  Constitutional  Complications. This was Used for the First Time to deny a hard earned right of a worker. But Supreme Court opinion was again in favour of us. April 1981 Bonus  paid  for  the  years  79-80 , 80-81   with 12 % Interest  22.04.1981 Finance minister announces in parliament  that  he  will  take  all  steps to  control  the  wages  of  LIC  Employees  27.07.1981 Government  issued  Notification  imposing  Ceiling  on  Total  Salary. For Class 3 Employees, Maximum Wage Ceiling  was  fixed  as  Rs 2750.00 28.12.1981 Supreme  Court  upheld LIC  Amendment  Act 02.01.1982 Supreme Court  did not  accept  Our  Review  Petition 19.01.1982 ALL INDIA  STRIKE BY ALL TRADE UNIONS.  In the Police shoot out in  Tamil Nadu, 3 peasants  Anjaan, Nagooran, Gnanasekaran  were Killed  in  Thirmeignam  in  Thanjavur  District. 28.02.1982 Finance Minister announces while presenting Budget that L.I.C  will  be split  in to 5 corporations as per the recommendations  of the  Era. Chezhian’s Committee. 24.03.1982 One  Hour  Strike  against  Notification  on  Ceiling 1982 Calcutta  High Court  passed  Orders  to  pay  Wages  along  with  12 %  Interest  for  Strike  Period 17.04.1982 All  India  Convention  against  Split  in  New Delhi  inaugurated  by  Com Jothi Basu CM,  West  Bengal  and  attended  by  many  important  leaders 1982 WZIEA raises  Industrial  Dispute  to  absorb  Temporary  Employees 27.12.1982 to 31.12.1982 11th  General  Conference  of  AIIEA  at  Bangalore. Com Chandrasekhar Bose &  Com Saroj  Chaudhry  elected as  President  &  General  Secretary 22.02.1983 Retirement Age  reduced  to 58 1983 Management  makes  Attempt  to  impose  Industrial  DA  of    Rs 1.30  per  point 30.04.1983 For Class 4 Employees, Maximum Wage Ceiling  was  fixed  as  Rs 1600.00 18.08.1983 One Day Strike  for  Wage  Revision 19.12.1983 Central  Government introduce  Bill  to  Split  LIC.  Com Sunil Moithra, MP and  Joint  Secretary, AIIEA  and  CPIM  opposes  the  Bill in  Lok Sabha.  48  MPs  give letter  to  withdraw  the  Bill. Bill  was  referred  to  the  Parliamentary Committee 20,21 December 1983 Two  Day  Strike  for  Wage  Revision  focuses  on  Split  Bill too. 1984  March 1  Two  Hour  Strike 8,9 April 1984 In the Wage  Talks, Management  gave  written  proposal  to  introduce  Industrial   DA April  1984 Six  One  Hour  Walk Out  Strikes 08.05.1984 One  Day  Strike 15.06.1984 AIIEA  deposes   witness  before  Parliamentary  Committee on  Split 25.08.1984 Split Bill Debated in Loksabha. Heated Exchange by  Opposition mainly CPIM. Finally  Bill was  not passed. 09.02.1985 Wage Revision Finalized 12.04.1985 Rajiv Gandhi writes to Com Sunil Moithra that they had dropped  the  move  to  split  LIC 15.04.1985 to 19.04.1985 12th  General  Conference  of  AIIEA  at  Indore. Com Chandrasekhar Bose &  Com Saroj  Chaudhry  elected as   President  &  General  Secretary 20.05.1985 Issue  of  Temporary  Employees  referred  to  National  Industrial  Tribunal 24.08.1985 Management  proposed  a   Medical  Scheme to  be  contributed  fully  by  the  Employee. AIIEA  did  not  accept  this  scheme. April 1986 L.I.C  Management  tries to impose Medical Scheme unilaterally. AIIEA  calls for Boycott  of  the scheme and 77.92 %  of  the Employees responded and the Management dropped it. 30.01.1986 12.02.1986 14.02.1986 8,9.05.1986 23.07.1986 29.08.1986 AIIEA  met  the  Union Finance  Minister Shri V.P.Singh on all  these  days and  explained  about  the  various  anomalies  in  Wage  Revision and  submitted  detailed  Memorandums 17.04.1986 NIT by  Justice  Tulpule  issued  award  to  absorb  the  Temporary  Employees 21.07.l986 LIC  appeals  in  High Court  against  NIT  Award 14.08.1986 LIC  Appeal  Dismissed 11.09.1986 Due  to  the  consistent  efforts  with  V.P.Singh, Notification issued  for  many  improvements. Wage  Ceiling  Removed. 100 %  DA  Neutralization to  class  3  Employees  up to  Basic  Pay  of  Rs 790.00 17.09.1986 LIC  issues  circular misinterepting  NIT  award  13.10.1986 AIIEA  lodged  complaint  with  CLC  against  LIC  for  not  implementing  NIT  Award November 1986 Com Saroj Chowdhri visited Nicaragua accepting  the Invitation By the Government of Nicaragua. 5,6.11.1986 Conciliation  Proceedings took place.  but  failed 21.01.1987 All  India  Strike  by  all TUs to save PSUs 11.06.1987 Government  refers  the  NIT  Award  to  another  NIT by  Justice  M.S.Jamdar 26.08.1997 Wage Revision  Charter  Submitted 01.11.1987 Group Savings Linked Insurance Scheme Implemented 01.01.1988 Mediclaim Scheme  introduced with the consent of AIIEA. 23.02.1988 to 27.02.1988 13th  General  Conference  of  AIIEA  at  Jaipur.  Com Chandrasekhar Bose &  Com N.M.Sundaram  were   elected as  President  &  General  Secretary. AIIEA  Head quarters  shifted  to  Chennai 22-25.03.1988 Com N.M.Sundaram, General Secretary attended the Conference of Trade Union International  at Sofia, Capital of Bulgaria. 15.03.1988 Bharat Bundh – AIIEA  joins 12.06.1988 INSURANCE CORPORATION EMPLOYEES’ UNION, VELLORE DIVISION FORMED. 22.06.1988 One Hour Strike for Wage  Revision 21.07.1988 One Hour Strike for Wage  Revision. Protesting  the   Management’s  unilateral  action  of  restricting  the   number  in  the  negotiating   team, AIIEA  boycotted  the  Discussions. 16.09.1988 NIT  Award  by  Justice Jamdhar confirming  earlier  award 19.09.1988 AIIEA  writes  to  LIC  to  implement  NIT  Award 31.10.1988 Implement “ NIT  Award “  Day  Observed 16.03.1989 One  Hour Walk Out Strike  for  Wage  Revision 31.03.1989 Two  Hour Walk Out Strike  for  Wage  Revision April 1989 Wage  Revision  Agreement  concluded 12.05.1989 Wage Revision Notification Released May 1989 Agreement reached  with  L.I.C  Management  regarding  Absorption  of  Temporary  Employees. L.I.C  Management  withdrew  the  Special    Leave Petition  in  Supreme  Court.  June 1989 Thousands  of  Temporary  Employees  absorbed  as  Permanent  Employees. 31.07.1989 Supreme  Court  passed  orders  to  pay  wages  along  with  Interest  for  the  14 days  Bonus  Strike  Period August 1989 Wages  along  with  Interest  paid  for  the  Bonus  Strike  Period 30.08.1989 Bharath Bundh  against  the  Policies  of  the  Central  Government  by  all  Trade  Unions  and  one  of  the  main  slogan  is  “ Rajiv Gandhi -  Resign “. AIIEA  participated in  the  Strike. 06.07.1990 Notification  for  100 %  DA  Neutralization  up to  Rs 2,500  Released.  17.07.1990 Two  Hour  Walk Out  Strike  for  pending  demands 23.08.1990 AIIEA  along  with  FMRAI  organizes  First  National  Convention  against  American  Act Super 301  which  demands  opening up  of  Indian  Service  Sector. This  is  the   First  Movement  in  India   against  Globalization. 1990 Co Ordination  Committee  on  Pension  formed  along  with  Few  Bank Unions  to  secure  the  demand  of  Pension. 01.09.1990 Dharnas  in  all  centres  against  Super 301 04.12.1990 Co ordination  committee  on  Pension  gives  memorandum  to    the Finance  Minister  Shri  Yashwanth Sinha. 24- 28.12.1990 14th  General  Conference  of  AIIEA  at  Cuttack.  Com Ashok Mithra, West  Bengal  Finance  Minister inaugurated  the  Conference.  Com Chandra Sekhar Bose was  elected  as  President  and  Com N.M.Sundaram  as  General  Secretary.