Notice Matter for SWR Zonal Convention at SBC on 04.02.15

ALL INDIA LOCO RUNNING STAFF ASSOCIATION

South Western Railway, Hubli.

Zonal Convention

On 4^th Feb 2015, Wed, from 10.00 hrs

At St Mathews Church Hall

( Opposite “Anugraha”, Railway Community Hall, Railway Colony, Bengaluru City.

Com. R Murali, General Secretary, AILRSA, SR

Com. VR Prakash, Zonal President, AILRSA, SR

Com. K Parthasarathy, AGS, AILRSA SR

Com. GN Shaw, Divisional President, AILRSA, GTL

Will address.

CONVENTION ON CHALLENGES AHEAD OF LOCOMEN & RAILWAYMEN

CHALLENGES AHEAD OF LOCOMEN

To reduce the accidents and SPADs in Railways, Railway Board has issued  various directives vide letter dated 14.06.2012 like reduction of duty hours /night duties, increased rest, ensured two hours calling time, resuming from leave at 08.00 hours etc. Unfortunately Zonal Railways are reluctant to implement them. At the same time Circuit Cameras were provided in crew lobbies and instructions are emanated to fix CC Camera at loco cab too. Without critically analysing into the bottom of the reasons, this kind of approach will not help to reduce the incidents of SPADs.

High Level Safety Review Committee (Headed by Dr. Anil Kakodkar) submitted their recommendation on February 2012. High Power Committee (HPC) on HOER has submitted its report on August 2013.  We demand to modify the recommendations on duty hours, classification etc.  Railway has not taken any decision on these long awaited recommendations and kept in cold storage.

Even after appellate authority under HOER, Joint Secretary of Ministry of Labour finally upheld the order of RLC, Chennai to reclassify Loco Pilot Passenger carrying trains as “Intensive”, our Zonal Railways hesitate to implement but preferred an appeal in Hon’ble High Court, Chennai.

Running staff appointed after 01.01.2004 under New (National) Pension Scheme are not ensured with fifty five percent pay element on pensionary benefit, denial of higher grade pay fixation for medically de-categorised running staff, denial of MACP for Loco Running Staff like problems are continuing even after formation of several committees and commissions. While considering Pay Commission related issues, in addition to general demands like DA merger, Interim Relief (IR) etc,. Running staff has to deal with Pay and Running Allowance too. Various earlier  Pay Commissions dealt with running allowance, but left the matter to be decided by the Railways based on the stand taken by the Federations and Rly Admn. Based on the experience of bilateral agreements between Railways and Federations and  pay element is involved in running allowance AILRSA alone demanded this Allowance also to be considered by the Pay Commission. But contrary to the past this time the Railway Board referred  briefs on three allowances viz., Pay Element and rates of Running Allowance, Additional Allowance and Break Down Allowance peculiar to Indian Railways to the 7^th CPC for their consideration and recommendation.

On a plain reading of the Railway Board reference, it gives an impression that the intention behind the pleadings advanced by the Railway Board is to ensure that no higher pay scales than a normal replacement scales should be recommended by the 7^th Central Pay Commission to the running staff. The pleadings are so worded and engineered to divert the Commission from the fact that additional work load and stress on running staff has been increased multifold after the 5^th and 6^th CPC, calling for a higher pay pocket to be recommended by the 7^th CPC. It is also to be kept in our mind that the Chairman Railway Board intended to constitute a committee after receiving the recommendations of 7^th CPC to review the running allowance scheme. Our apprehension that the committee constituted or to be constituted are intended to abrogate the benefits that were extended by the CPC may be taken into serious consideration. It is worthwhile to remind that the empowered committee formed to review the running allowance formula to the disadvantage of running staff was now kept in abeyance on our pleadings before NIT. In this scenario AILRSA has submitted a detail representation on Running Allowance issue to 7^th CPC. As usual the stand by Federations is yet to be known. AILRSA makes no stone unturned to clinch and protect the rights of running staff and echoing our voice on justification of demands in all the fora. We should not miss the bus.

CHALLENGES AHEAD OF RAILWAYMEN

According to the Planning Commission study report submitted last year the investment of 35 lakhs crore is required from 2012 to 2032. Worldwide the investment for Railways is done by the respective Governments only. As the present Standing Committee on Railways says in their report submitted in Parliament on December 2014, for the much needed Socio – Economic development in the nation the Financial support by the Government is necessary for the Railways. Even after our Prime Minister and Railway Minister are repeatedly announcing in the media that Railways will not be privatized, the reality in action differs. The Government policy enunciated under Industrial Policy Resolution of 1991, reserves “Railway Transportation for the Government Sector.”Government of India on 22^nd July 2014 issued a gazette notification amended the 25-7-1991 resolution. Now Railway Transport has been removed instead it substitutes there “railway operations”. But railway construction, operation and maintenance of the 10 areas will be de reserved from government control. Since 1924 the train operation remained with the government. A great departure has been made by the present government in which it allows private participation even in Railway Operations. The Government has gone one step ahead and allows 100% FDI through automatic route in construction, operation and maintenance on 27-7-2014. The government has taken Railways to pre 1924 position of Company regime. To save the Railways and Railway men and to keep the Railways as Government entity we must struggle unitedly nationwide against FDI and PPP in Railways. Greater unity among all Railway Trade Unions is must and inescapable. Let us discuss and deliberate in the convention about various challenges ahead of us and decide the remedial actions.

WORKING CLASS UNITY ZINDABAD                                                   AILRSA ZINDABAD

Bengaluru

27.01.15