Letter to Prime Minister

To,

The Hon’ble Prime Minster, (Hon’ble In-charge of Railways)

Government of India, New Delhi

Ref: - Long pending genuine grievances of Loco Running Staff of Indian Railway.

Sir,

Most respectfully, once more, I on behalf of Loco Running Staff of Indian Railway knock your door for justice please I may please be excused for taking your valuable time for some minutes.

Sir, VICPC has done a great in justice to the Loco Running Staff of Indian Railways in regards to PB, GP i.e. Pay, grade pay and allowances to Loco Running Staff who in-fact maintaining the life line of the country in day and night, summer, rain and winter whether it was the area of terrorist influence or Maoists, Railway Administration always thinks that the responsibility of save operation of the trains only lies with the Loco Running Staff and Loco Running Staff are subjected to capital punishment in all most all the cases of accidents ignoring the system failure and failure of other concerned staff but while the matter comes of Pay and allowance and other benefits the Loco Running Staff are badly discriminated which have the cause of depression of Loco Running Staff. The Loco Running Staff seeing the treatment of Railway Management, discrimination and ignorance to their genuine demands, are now being compelled to think that whether it is mistake or Sin to join in service of Loco Running Staff.

Sir, once, at very initial stage being disappointed with the negative attitude Railway management, I on the behalf of Organization approached your honour through a representation and your honour has forwarded the representation to the Ministry of Railway on 15.09.2009 under letter no. PMP1/75948 for an adequate action but of no use. Many of Hon’ble Central Ministers and MPs also had forwarded our representation to Railway Ministry for an adequate action but that too gone in vain. Sir, we did not favour any dislocation of train services which may hit the national economy but always favour a peaceful settlement of our grievances through democratic process.

Sir, being disappointed, lastly we decided to go for Hunger Strike at New Delhi following working in fast all over the country starting from 25^th Nov 2009 which might effect the train services but Ministry for Labour intervened through RLC (C) New Delhi for which I am very grateful. Conciliation with intervention of RLC (C) was started from 25^th Nov’ 2009 following which we had withdrawn our agitational program and had an expectation that matter would be resolved to the satisfaction to the Loco Running Staff through the democratic process but unfortunately matter could not be resolved due to negative attitude of Railway Administration even after all most all one year. In all the sittings of conciliation for a year Railway repeatedly maintained that matters were under active consideration but nothing was done so for, RLC (C) lastly being fed-up with non-co-operative, negative and avoiding attitude compelled to conclude the conciliation as a failure one, and referred the matter to CLC (C) Shram Shakti Bhawan / New Delhi for further action. We then approached the then Hon’ble Minister for State for Labour Sri. Harish Rout with request to send the matter for adjudication as per system and rule, who assured us to send our case for adjudication sating that it is fit case, but the case was not sent for adjudication although two months had passed. Then we had requested Hon’ble Minister for Labour and Secretary Hon’ble Minister for Labour Sri. Chaturvedi to refer the matter to National Industrial Tribunal for adjudication. When 45 days is scheduled period to sent our case to Tribunal for adjudication had already passed and matter was not sent to Tribunal. We met Hon’ble Minister who assured us to look into case. We were very much hopeful that our case would be sent for adjudication for peaceful settlement of our issues but our request is rejected on the same plea that our case is under active consideration under different committees of the management. The Railway is dragging the issue since last one year or more. Here also no time limit is given.

Sir, the Railway management as it is doing injustice to Loco Running Staff and discriminating to Loco Running Staff on the different issues the Loco Running Staff are very much dissatisfied and resented. The resentment is further growing when find that Loco Running Staff further subjected to discrimination on other matters too in addition to pay and allowances. The following case of discrimination is a glaring example.

On the question MACP the Loco Running Staff are deprived the eligibility of employment assistance under safety related VRS, and also selection of Loco Inspector changing to general selection etc.

Sir, now the Loco Running Staff became impatience and a serious resentment is prevailing due to abnormal delay in solving the issues. Even from the date of rejecting our demand to refer our matter to Industrial Tribunal by the Hon’ble Minister of Labour on assurance of Railway Ministry about three months have passed but nothing is done so far.

When Ministry of Labour rejected our demand for adjudication considering the assurances of Railway Ministry the Association requested Labour Ministry to limit the time for resolving the issue. Sir, it can’t be allowed to go on lingering for indefinite period, so the Association requested the Ministry of Labour to ask Railway Ministry to finalize the issue within one month time from March and that too is over now it is going to complete all most all three months of time.

Sir, the grievances of Loco Running Staff are most genuine, justified and the Railway Management has no reason to reject it but dragging the issue with malafied motive.

The Central Committee met on 29^th 30^th May 2011 and discussed the issues in-detail and came the conclusion that Railway Management dragging the issue rather provoking the Loco Running Staff for agitation, and so the Association decided to bring the matter once more in your kind notice for resolving our issues, so that a peaceful atmosphere and cordial Labour relation is maintained in the Railways.

The Association therefore request your honour to intervene into the situation and see that the Railway Board resolve the issues latest by mid of the July, to avoid the agitation in Railway.

With high regards,

Your’s sincerely

(M. N. Prasad)

Secretary General

AILRSA

ENCL –

1. RLC (C) failure report.

2. Our representation to Ministry of Labour as well as Railway.

3. The justification of demand in short.