Letter sent to GM/SWR

To

   The General Manager, South Western Railway, Kesavpur, Hubli.

Respected Sir,                       

Sub    :  Extreme restriction on crew (LP/ALP) for mobile phone usage (CUG) while ON duty and even OFF duty too.  –issuing Charge sheet reg.  

                                        

             In the name of safety /to avoid SPAD the administration has suddenly started dealing strictly i.e. with punitive measures in cases of mobile phone (CUG) usage by crew.  While this association strongly supports the administration banning mobile phone usage while the train is on run, other occasions restricting phone usage is pitiable. It would do well to analyse the following before taking such drastic steps.

1)   Duty hours of the engine crew can stretch up to 13 hours or more in goods trains/10 hours or more in Mail/Exp. Trains.

2)   After signing ON the crew has to stay away from headquarters (away from family and friends) for up to 72 hours (goods) and about 40 hours (Mail/Exp.).

3)   Man is a social animal and so can’t remain aloof/isolated /incommunicado from the rest of the world (circle of family and friends) even when the train is at a dead stop (at stations)/arrival at destination/occupation of rest/running rooms, just because he happens to be a running staff.

4)   It is a layman’s guess that Safety is not at all affected if the engine crew uses mobile phone when the train is at a dead stop i.e. waiting at stations for scheduled halts/crossings/precedence/want of line clear.  For prolonged duty hours crew can’t be expected to sit inside the cab (during stopping at stations)

5)   The nature of running duty itself induces tremendous stress/strain on the psyche of the engine crew. An occasional phone call, when the train is at dead stop is not at all unsafe.  The crew has nothing to do but relaxing.

6)   This act of total ban on mobile phone usage, curtailing the freedom of communication is unwarranted.

7)   In Bangalore division some LPs were issued with minor penalty charge memorandum for using mobile phone in OFF duty, we demand to with draw such SF 11 immediately.

8)   The stoic silence of the running staff should not be misconstrued as a weakness to tolerate the punitive onslaught from the management, in the name of defending safety.

9)   Railway Board has time to time issued necessary clarification regarding usage of Mobile phone vide: No. 2006/Safety/ (A&R)/19/8 New Delhi dated 23.06.2009, No. 2009/Elect (TRS)/113/2 New Delhi 13.10.10. These letters instructs to keep the mobile phone in switched off/ in silent mode inside the bag while working train.

10)               If administration want to go to the extreme step of punishing for the usage of CUG phones even in off duty, all the running staff prepare to surrender the CUG SIM Cards to the administration.

Thanking You                                                   Yours Faithfully

Bangalore.                                                            (C. Sunish)

15.10.12

Copy to:

CME/SWR,CSO/SWR, CPO/SWR

DRM/ UBL/SBC/MYS

Sr DME/UBL/SBC/MYS

DSO/UBL/SBC/MYS.