Com S K Vyasji, veteran leader of the Central Government Employees and Pensioners. He passed away on February 13th 2015 at Jaipur , His remembrance day is celebrated on 13th Feb 2019 at 6.30 pm, union office located at ground floor GPO Bangalore . All comrades are requested to attend the meeting to pay homage to him.
Com SK Vyasji became the general secretary of Rajasthan unit of the All India Audit and Accounts Employees Association and shifted to Jaipur. He was also the auditor of the All India Association from 1958 to 1967.
He became the additional secretary general of the All India Association in 1967 and shifted to Delhi. In 1971, he was elected as the secretary general of the All India Audit and Accounts Employees Association. He continued as SG till 1981 and then as president till 1989. The leaders of the A&A Association office bearers, including Comrades EX Joseph, Vyas and others had to face severe harassment and victimisation at the hands of the administration. Com EX Joseph was dismissed from service.
Com SK Vyas was elected as the secretary general of the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers in August 1968, in the vacancy created by the resignation of Com OP Gupta. He continued in that post till 2006 after which he functioned as chairman of the Confederation. He led the central government employees movement for more than four decades. His name became synonymous with the Confederation. He was the main leader who negotiated with the four Central Pay Commissions from III CPC to VI CPC. His contribution in finalising the memorandum to the VII CPC is also much appreciated.
These were periods of struggle, victimization, disruption by revisionists, against unity and so on – a tumultuous period. The historic strikes of 1968, 1974, the sustained struggles against neo-liberal policies in the 1990s and 2000s – all are part of this period. It is a matter of pride that the secretary generals of Confederation after Com Vyas – Comrades KKN Kutty and M Krishnan – have followed his footsteps and strengthened the CGE movement.
During this period, Vyasji functioned as staff side member of National Council of CG Employees and contributed much for settlement of demands. He continued as a senior advisor to Confederation of CG Employees & Workers later. He was also a staff side member of SCOVA, the official negotiating forum of pensioners.
For the past few years, in addition to the issues of the CG Employees, Com Vyas was fully engaged with the organisations of the pensioners. The formation of the National Co-ordination Committee of Pensioners Association (NCCPA) was at his initiative. He was elected as its first secretary general. Consequent to the resignation of Com Shyam Sunder from the post of SG BCPC, Com Vyas was elected to the post of secretary general of Bharat Central Pensioners Confederation, which is the umbrella organisation of the CGE pensioners’ organisations.
During the presentation of pensioners issues before the VII Central Pay Commission on behalf of Confederation & BCPC, I have seen how clearly and strongly Com Vyas was presenting the demands. He was respected by all for his sincere and dedicated service to the workers and his simple and all-friendly life.