Dear Loco Running Men,
Our struggle against antediluvian Hours of work (HOER) continues
from the birth of this organisation. AILRSA continued agitations to review the
HOER. The relentless struggle and AILRSA’s decision to join the strike
organised by the Central Government Employees organisation influenced them and
added ‘Review of HOER’ as a demand of JCM during 2006.
During negotiations
government accepted to a judicial review of HOER by High Court Judge. Again the
indifferent attitude of Railways continued and they delayed to implement the
decision. Finally in the year 2011, on compulsion, Railways appointed High
Power Committee( HPC) comprising of bureaucrats with an escapism that they
consulted with recognised federations. AILRSA expressed apprehensions about
dilution of Judicial Committee into a bureaucratic committee, but sincerely
represented to avail the opportunity to address the grievances of Loco Running
Staff.
AILRSA continued struggles simultaneously for HOER and pay &
allowances demands. When our nation wide agitations were in peak, Ministry of
Labour intervened and Regional Labour Commissioner, New Delhi conciliated between
AILRSA and Railways but it failed. Then considering the justification of our
demands, national importance and seething resentment of staff expressed by our
continuous agitations, Ministry of Labour ordered for adjudication by National Industrial Tribunal(NIT) for the first
time after independence. This has created tremendous pressure on Railway
administration and in these circumstances High Power Committee has given its
recommendations.
Though various committees headed by renowned judicial members like
Justice.G.S. Rajadhyaksha, Justice. N.M. Miabhoy, Justice. H.R. Khanna, Parliamentary
Standing committee (Headed by Com. Basudeb Acharia recommended to implement 8
hours of duty in 2004) and various trade unions asked to reduce the duty hours
of running staff for the sake of safety in Railways and wellbeing of the
workers, the HPC has not recommended to reduce the total working hours below 10
hours. At the same time, no where in the world the duty hours of train crew is
more than 9 hrs. As clearly indicated in the annexure attached to the report,
except in few railways it was prescribed at 12 hrs where two equally competent
drivers are provided. Further,
internationally there was no such concept of Running Duty or otherwise.
The reasons advanced by all
the unions including AIRF /NFIR, the necessity to reduce the stay away from
Head Quarters was elaborate and all the points raised by the workers are
recognised by the committee but finally danced to the tune of their master and
recommended 72 hours against the present practice of 36 hours as per Railway
Board order.
In front of HPC, AILRSA demanded “INTENSIVE” classification for Loco
pilots, which is presently available classification in HOER for many other
categories in Railways and AILRSA quoted the decision of RLC, Chennai on Industrial
Dispute(ID) raised by AILRSA/MDU. AIRF demanded a new classification “SUPER
INTENSIVE” and to reduce the working hours to 5 hours. NFIR also demanded a new
classification “SPECIAL INTENSIVE”. But
HPC denied the demands of all the unions and recommended to continue the
existing classification of “CONTINUOUS”.
DO WE WAIT FOR SUCH
RIDICULOUSLY OLD FASHIONED REGULATIONS TO CONTINUE??
Now AILRSA is fighting for Intensive
case in High Court, Chennai on the writ petition filed by Railways. Further
AILRSA’s claim before the adjudication of NIT, Mumbai also continue. AILRSA is
launching Signature Campaign, Divisional Demonstration, and Zonal programme
like trade union activities.
The Federations are still to express
their views on HPC. Even after their demands are out rightly rejected by HPC,
do they hesitate to oppose it? Loco Running Staff believes they too will respond
to fight for better HOER and it is the right time to organise the struggle for
it. A stitch in time saves nine.
Even without a demand from any
section of the workers/trade unions, Railway Board has formed an empowered committee
to device a new formula for the rate of running allowance and their ill motive
is known to all. This is a usual
practice of the Railways which often tries to manipulate the parameters of the
formula of rate of running allowance or the formula itself. AILRSA has demanded to scrap this
committee and the present stand of Federations AIRF/NFIR after the reply from
Railways on empowered committee dated 02.07.2013 are yet to be known. AILRSA has raised the objections
in the NIT to do away with the Empowered committee. Even then they are going ahead with it
to succeed their ill motive, when issue of Running allowance is subjudice and is under consideration of
NIT for adjudication. It is nothing but a gross dis-regard to the democratic
process as well as Hon’ble NIT. As such,
AILRSA demands to cancel the empowered committee on running allowance.
The RBE 41/2013 is a serious blow to the status, grade and pay of
Running staff. Through this circular, a serious injustice is done against the
running staff by lowering the status and grade of running staff while being
posted in stationary post after being medically decategorised by not upgrading
the GP., it gives the weightage of pay element to protect the pay only but not
to Grade Pay. This reduction in rank is against the protection envisaged in The
Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full
Participation) Act 1995.
On MACP issue the clarification of Rly Board
through RBE no. 142/2012 is against the spirit of its own circular under RBE
no. 101/2009 and also in contrary to the order of Hon’ble CAT/Ernakulam in O.A. no. 561/11 of dt 11.04.2012 which
justified GP Rs.4600/- even Rs.4800/- to Loco Pilots under MACP scheme although
it is not a promotional GP when they fulfil the condition of MACP scheme. Now
with the above mentioned RBE142/2012's clarification, the employees concerned
will be deprived with the benefit of upgraded GP and thus injustice is done.
Therefore the said RBE 142/2012 needs to be withdrawn.
The large number of accidents in the last three years
forced the Railways to release the minutes on SPAD which is mostly a replica of
various AILRSA memorandums submitted in the past. But unfortunately Railways never
bothered to earmark any funds for implementation. Surprisingly, the GMs of all
zones disowned the SPAD minutes released by their bosses at the Railway
Board. Member
(Mechanical), who was at the forefront of the SPAD meeting, is the present CRB,
let us wait and see whether efforts are taken to implement his very own
suggestions.CRB shall prevail upon GMs to implement the above minutes on duty
hours and rests.
Railway board had issued RBE
95/2013 dated 12-09-13 for allowing promotional increment at the time of
promotion in same grade pay. But while listing the situations of promotions,
two promotions pertaining to running cadre are omitted. Sr. Assistant Loco
Pilot to Loco Pilot (Shunting) Grade II and Loco Pilot (Shunting) Grade I to
Loco Pilot (Goods). So we demand to revise the order under reference to include
the above two situations among other.
AILRSA TAKES SINCERE EFFORTS TO UNITE THE WORKER AND
GIVES CLARION CALL TO ALL THE LOCO RUNNING STAFF TO PARTICIPATE IN THE
FOLLOWING PROGRAMMES.
ALL INDIA SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN
DIVISIONAL DEMONSTRATION ON 20TH
NOVEMBER
ZONAL DEMONSTRATION ON DECEMBER
Following
demands are represented in Signature Campaign:
1) Modify and implement
the recommendation of HPC on Duty Hours
2) Cancel the empowered
committee on running allowance
3) Withdraw RBE no.
142/2012 which
denies the benefit on MACPS
to Loco Pilots
4) Fix Grade pay adding 30% pay element for medically decategorised Running Staff
5) Implement RLC, Chennai
order and Reclassify loco pilots as ' Intensive '
6) Implement Minutes of
Rly. Board's meeting on SPAD
7) Grant periodical
rest as per The Railways Act Sec.133
8) Grant Promotional
increment during promotion from Sr.ALP and Sr LP(S) to higher posts
WORKING CLASS UNITY ZINDABAD AILRSA ZINDABAD
Place:
Bangalore
Date:
11.11.2013
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