Mazdoor Union protests alleging Railways ‘anti-labour policy’

Vijayawada (BZA): The South Central Railway Mazdoor Union (SCRMU) held a meeting at the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM)’s office on Monday, protesting the government’s anti-labour policies and appealed to DRM Pradeep Kumar to convey the higher-ups about the consequences of privatising the railway ticket booking system and outsourcing of departmental activities and other policies.

In a memorandum submitted to the DRM, SCRMU leaders stated that privatisation of the ticket booking system would ultimately lead to surrender of the entire commercial clerk posts. .

The Railway administration was converting regular employees system into the contract one, instead of providing new posts when assets were created.

Protests in Secunderabad too, on privatisation move of ticketing services

Railway employees attached to the South Central Railway Mazdoor Union (Secunderabad division) organised a ‘Maha Dharna’ in Tirupati as well as at Renigunta junction on Monday, protesting against the outsourcing and privatization of sale of reserved and unreserved tickets.

The employees called it unfortunate for the Government to outsource sale of tickets in the garb of ‘Public Private Partnership’, by establishing ‘Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendra’. Passenger’s details like name, age and sex cannot be modified for the tickets purchased in these counters, nor could they be cancelled.

Moment of realisation for a railway official – an SCR official during his journey finds the woes of passengers of fully-packed Janmabhoomi as well as the staff on duty. He found that heavy rush was obstructing the movement of railway employees on duty like ticket checking staff and AC mechanics and even vendors

An SCR official during his journey finds the woes of passengers of fully-packed Janmabhoomi as well as the staff on duty

A senior official of South Central Railway, who travelled by the Secunderabad–Visakhapatnam Janmabhoomi Express last week, was caught unawares when he found not only the II sitting but also AC chair cars were overcrowded, with passengers standing in the aisle.

The official was learnt to be travelling as part of a survey to study the feasibility of running a double decker AC express on the Visakhapatnam-Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Janmabhoomi Express withdrawing the rake from the Guntur-Tirupathi double-decker AC express, which failed to draw passengers.

He found that heavy rush was obstructing the movement of railway employees on duty like ticket checking staff and AC mechanics and even vendors.

Some picked up arguments with the employees for the poor service and lack of air-conditioning.

When an employee tried to convince him saying that AC would not function properly when the coach was overcrowded, the passenger did not give up his aggressive attitude and even argued with a civil policeman in uniform, for trying to come to the rescue of the employee.

When a TTE wanted to check the ticket, another passenger reminded him of a recent incident of a TTE being pushed out of a train.

These incidents are forcing the employees to refrain from antagonising the passengers.

The senior official also found the few vendors, who could make their way through the crowd, were selling tea/coffee in 75 ml cups instead of the standard 150 ml, charging Rs.30 for a little quantity of curd rice and Rs.10 for 30 gm of peanut, packed in thick polythene sachets.

To add to the woes of Janmabhoomi passengers, a bunch of trans-genders boarded the train. Their behaviour was highly rude, filthy, ill-mannered forcing women commuters close their eyes not able to see their vulgar behaviour.  Last but not the least, the train was even being given very little priority and was generally running two hours late.