Priors
Precedents

All-India railway strike 1974

2 May 1974 – 28 May 1974, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar

In May 1974 railway workers under the National Coordination Committee for Railwaymen's Struggle (NCCRS), convened by George Fernandes, struck for about 20 days over bonus, hours of work and casual labour. The Indira Gandhi government said the strike was illegal, arrested Fernandes and thousands of workers under MISA and the Defence of India Rules, deployed paramilitary forces on the railways and dismissed or removed staff. The government later told the Rajya Sabha that 19,883 railwaymen had been arrested and 16,749 dismissed, removed or terminated. The strike was withdrawn on 27-28 May 1974 without a settlement; the Janata government announced the reinstatement of dismissed and suspended employees in March 1977.

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In power
INC: Centre; Janata Party: Centre

What the government did

  1. May 1974

    OtherCentreShare

    The government treated the strike as illegal.

    MoreLess · 3 sources

    TIME reported government warnings that the strike was illegal. On 5 August 1974 Deputy Railway Minister Qureshi told the Rajya Sabha that strikes had been declared illegal under the Defence of India Rules, which he said ran up to 25 November 1974, and that the strike was therefore illegal. On 14 May Railway Minister L. N. Mishra told the Rajya Sabha that no negotiation was possible unless normalcy was restored. Mishra said a three-point formula of release, negotiation and withdrawal, which came out of a meeting between the government and opposition leaders, had been disowned; opposition MPs said it made withdrawal of the strike a precondition.

    Legal basis: Defence of India Rules, 1971 (as stated by the Deputy Railway Minister in the Rajya Sabha, 5 August 1974)

    Sources [10][9][6]

  2. May 1974

    DetentionCentreShare

    Railway workers and union leaders were arrested across the country during the strike.

    MoreLess · 6 sources

    On 5 and 6 August 1974 the government told the Rajya Sabha that 19,883 railwaymen had been arrested, that 19,236 had been released by 5 August and that about 600 faced criminal cases. Other figures are higher: TIME reported on 20 May that 1,500 union leaders had been jailed; CPI MP Bhupesh Gupta said on 14 May that more than 20,000 had been arrested; AIRF says 50,000 were arrested under MISA, the Defence of India Rules and the Indian Penal Code.

    Legal basis: Maintenance of Internal Security Act, 1971; Defence of India Rules, 1971 (named by AIRF and opposition MPs; the government gave a total of arrests without a breakdown by law)

    • 1,500 union leaders jailed (reported 20 May 1974), said TIME [6]
    • more than 20,000 arrested by 14 May, said Bhupesh Gupta, CPI MP (Rajya Sabha, 14 May 1974) [9]
    • 19,883 railwaymen arrested during the strike, said Government of India (Deputy Railway Minister, Rajya Sabha, 5 August 1974) [10]
    • 19,236 released by 5 August 1974, said Government of India (Deputy Railway Minister, Rajya Sabha, 5 August 1974) [10]
    • 50,000 arrested under MISA, said AIRF [3]

    Sources [10][11][6][9][3][5]

  3. May 1974

    OtherCentreShare

    The Border Security Force, the Central Reserve Police and state police were deployed at points on the railways.

    MoreLess · 6 sources

    Railway Minister L. N. Mishra told the Rajya Sabha on 14 May that the deployment was to safeguard against sabotage and destruction of railway property and to protect workers at their posts, and the Home Ministry said in July that the BSF and CRPF had not used firing, lathi charges or tear gas. Opposition MP Niren Ghosh said in the Rajya Sabha on 7 May that the Army had been alerted and the Territorial Army called out, and TIME reported that militiamen were mobilised to run emergency rail services. A Frontier account says the Provincial Armed Constabulary was also deployed. The Caravan says electricity and water were cut to railway colonies in Bombay, Delhi, Kishanganj, Shakurbasti and Malda; Bhupesh Gupta raised the cuts in the Rajya Sabha on 14 May, and Mishra replied that he had no information.

    Sources [9][12][8][6][1][2]

  4. May 1974

    OtherCentreShare

    Employees were dismissed, removed or discharged, and those who struck had a break in service recorded.

    MoreLess · 5 sources

    Defending the dismissals in the Rajya Sabha, the Deputy Railway Minister cited the rule that lets the disciplinary authority dispense with an inquiry when it records that one is not reasonably practicable. The government told the Rajya Sabha in August 1974 that 16,749 employees had been dismissed, removed or terminated, of whom 6,644 had been taken back by 5 August; that about 18,500 casual labourers had been discharged; and that about 5.5 lakh employees had a break in service, of which 1.4 lakh cases had been condoned. AIRF gives 10,329 permanent staff laid off, 5,630 temporary workers dismissed and 5.30 lakh breaks in service, and says families were forcibly removed from railway quarters. Other accounts give higher totals.

    Legal basis: Rule 14(ii), Railway Employees (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1968 (as named by AIRF; the Deputy Railway Minister cited Rule 14 of the Discipline and Appeal Rules)

    • 10,310 (3,203 reinstated on appeal) dismissed or removed under Rule 14, said Government of India (Deputy Railway Minister, Rajya Sabha, 5 August 1974) [10]
    • 16,749 (6,644 taken back by 5 August 1974) dismissed, said Government of India (Railway Minister, Rajya Sabha, 6 August 1974) [11]
    • about 18,500 (9,458 taken back by 5 August 1974) casual labourers discharged, said Government of India (Railway Minister, Rajya Sabha, 6 August 1974) [11]
    • about 5.5 lakh (550,000) employees with a break in service, said Government of India (Railway Minister, Rajya Sabha, 5-6 August 1974) [11]
    • 10,329 permanent employees laid off, said AIRF [3]
    • 5,630 temporary workers dismissed, said AIRF [3]
    • 30,000 permanent staff dismissed, said Frontier (Harsh Thakor, 2024) [2]

    Sources [10][11][3][2][5]

  5. 2 May 1974

    Preventive arrestCentreShare

    George Fernandes, AIRF president and NCCRS convener, was arrested at Lucknow, where he had gone for a May Day meeting, while talks with the Railway Ministry were due to resume on 2 May.

    MoreLess · 5 sources

    In the Rajya Sabha on 2 May, N. G. Goray said Fernandes had been arrested that morning, and Deputy Railway Minister Mohd. Shafi Qureshi confirmed the arrest. Accounts of the time and place differ: AIRF says Delhi Police arrested him around midnight on 1 May and flew him to Tihar Jail on 2 May; The Caravan describes a pre-dawn arrest at Charbagh station; his brother Michael Fernandes recalled that he was picked up on 1 May as he climbed to the dais. AIRF says warrants were issued against other leaders on 2 May, and an MP told the Rajya Sabha that P. K. Barooah of the All India Loco Running Staff Association was also arrested. TIME reported that Railway Minister L. N. Mishra claimed authority for the arrests under MISA.

    Legal basis: Maintenance of Internal Security Act, 1971 (as reported by TIME; on 2 May the Deputy Railway Minister told the Rajya Sabha he could not say under what Act Fernandes was held)

    Sources [7][3][1][4][6]

  6. 28 Mar 1977

    ConcessionCentreShare

    Janata government Railway Minister Madhu Dandavate laid the Railway Budget for 1977-78 on 28 March 1977 and, in his budget speech, announced that employees suspended or dismissed for taking part in the 1974 strike would be reinstated unconditionally within six weeks, with seniority restored and breaks in service condoned.

    MoreLess · 3 sources

    He repeated the assurance in the Rajya Sabha on 30 March. AIRF says victimisation orders and court cases were also withdrawn.

    Sources [13][14][3]

Outcome

The NCCRS called the strike off unconditionally on 27-28 May 1974 with no settlement of demands. Punitive orders against strikers were reversed after the change of government in 1977.

Background

Who governed at the start of the protest. Each action above counts for the party in power where and when it happened.

Centre government
INCnone, Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister
Places
Lucknow, Tihar Jail, Bombay, Delhi, Kishanganj, Shakurbasti, Malda
Cause
Bonus, eight-hour day, dearness allowance and regularisation of casual railway labour
Organisers
National Coordination Committee for Railwaymen's Struggle, All India Railwaymen's Federation
Scale
Union and later accounts give participation of 1 million to 1.7 million railway workers; the Railway Minister told the Rajya Sabha in August 1974 that 5.5 lakh (550,000) went on strike, of whom about 2.5 lakh were still out when it was called off (figures vary by source)

What they said

Words in quote marks were matched in the source. Everything else is a summary; open the source for the exact words. Each statement says whether the speaker's party was in power or in opposition at the time.

In power

“This strike has affected most the poor and the weaker sections of our society.”

At Rajya Sabha debates, 14 May 1974, cols. 118-119 (L. N. Mishra quoting the Prime Minister)

INCIndira Gandhi, Prime Minister10 May 1974[9]

In power

“A situation has been created in which no negotiation is possible unless normalcy is restored.”

At Rajya Sabha debates, 14 May 1974, col. 147

INCL. N. Mishra, Minister of Railways14 May 1974[9]

In opposition

As NCCRS convener led a charter of demands including bonus, abolition of the casual labour system and dearness allowance revisions, and the call for an indefinite strike from 8 May 1974. The Deputy Railway Minister described the AIRF unions' strike notices and demands to the Rajya Sabha on 2 May 1974

Summary, not a quote

In power

“Seniority will be retained. Break in service will be condoned. Everything will be completed in a time-bound phase, six weeks.”

At Rajya Sabha debates, 30 March 1977, cols. 121-122

Sources

  1. 1The 1974 railway strike and George FernandesThe Caravan, 30 Apr 2026T5 SecondaryArchived 30 Apr 2026
  2. 2A Forgotten Anniversary: The 1974 Railway StrikeFrontier, Vol 56 No 49, Harsh Thakor, 2 Jun 2024T5 SecondaryArchived 14 Jun 2024
  3. 3Nation Remembers 1974 Strike on 8th May - AIRF to hold meetings to commemorate the OccasionAll India Railwaymen's Federation (union account), 8 May 2023T5 Secondary
  4. 4How the Fernandes brothers fought through Emergency - an interview with Michael FernandesThe News Minute, Siddhartha Mishra, 25 Jun 2015T5 Secondary
  5. 5Railway Strike: Present and PastFrontier, Vol 49 No 2, Asis Ranjan Sengupta, 17 Jul 2016T5 SecondaryArchived 8 Feb 2019
  6. 6INDIA: Strangulating StrikeTIME, 20 May 1974T5 SecondaryArchived 30 Apr 2017
  7. 7Rajya Sabha official debates, 2 May 1974: reference to arrest of Shri George Fernandes; statement by Minister re threatened railway strikeRajya Sabha Secretariat, 2 May 1974T1 Record
  8. 8Rajya Sabha official debates, 7 May 1974: reference to strike by railway employeesRajya Sabha Secretariat, 7 May 1974T1 Record
  9. 9Rajya Sabha official debates, 14 May 1974: statement by Minister re strike situation on railwaysRajya Sabha Secretariat, 14 May 1974T1 Record
  10. 10Rajya Sabha official debates, 5 August 1974: oral answers on dismissal of railway employees; written answers on arrests and break in serviceRajya Sabha Secretariat, 5 Aug 1974T1 Record
  11. 11Rajya Sabha official debates, 6 August 1974: discussion on reported harassment, victimisation and break in service of railway employeesRajya Sabha Secretariat, 6 Aug 1974T1 Record
  12. 12Rajya Sabha official debates, 25 July 1974: written answer on deployment of CRP and BSF battalions during the railway strikeRajya Sabha Secretariat, 25 Jul 1974T1 Record
  13. 13Rajya Sabha official debates, 28 March 1977: Budget (Railways) 1977-78 laid on the TableRajya Sabha Secretariat, 28 Mar 1977T1 Record
  14. 14Rajya Sabha official debates, 30 March 1977: general discussion on the Budget (Railways) 1977-78Rajya Sabha Secretariat, 30 Mar 1977T1 Record

Similar precedents

Faded actions are ones this precedent does not share.

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Entry last updated 15 Oct 2026. Something wrong or missing? Edit content/precedents/railway-strike-1974.yaml