The South Indian Railway Strike, 1928: Labour Unrest, Worker Health, And Colonial Control

Abstract

This study examines the labour unrest in the South Indian Railway, focusing on the significant strikes of 1928. The 1928 strike, which began as a response to rationalization measures and retrenchment plans, escalated into a full-blown labour movement, with workers demanding better wages, working conditions, and union recognition. Ultimately, it was crushed with government crackdowns and arrests, taking leading labour figures out of the picture and dumbing down the South Indian Railway Workers Federation. The aftermath of the strike saw the retrenchment of approximately 4,000 workers and the closure of the Nagapattinam workshop. The study delves into the causes and consequences of the 1928 strike, including the role of the government, the railway administration, and the labour leadership. This article explores the connection between the strike and the health of railway workers—including trackmen, workshop hands, locomotive crews, pointsmen, porters, and gang women—by analyzing the conditions before the strike and the subsequent immediate and medium-term impacts. By carefully examining original important records including official government documentation, union documents and also newspaper reports, this research uncovers the complicated relationship between labour and capital as well as the rise of the worker’ s movement into a really powerful force shaping India's fight for freedom.