Who is Newspaper Workers from Memories of My Melancholy Whores and what is their importance?

The narrator writse a weekly column for the same newspaper for nearly fifty years. When he arrives to turn in his column the weekend of his ninetieth birthday, his co-workers surprise him with a party. The narrator is annoyed by the fuss, but he also loves the attention. He is so touched, in fact, that he almost neglects to turn in the column he has written, which is essentially his resignation. When pushed, however, he does turn in the column, which is promptly refused. The newspaper likes the narrator's column and wants him to continue writing for as long as possible.