6:47 PM
ALL
INDIA LOCO RUNNING STAFF ASSOCIATION
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. But Zonal Railways arereluctant 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 Sri.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 Honourable 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 BreakDown Allowance
peculiar to Indian Railways to the 7th 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 7th 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 5th and 6th CPC,
calling for an higher pay pocket to be recommended by the 7th 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 7th
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 abayance
on our pleadings before NIT. In this scenario AILRSA has submitted a detail
representation on Running Allowance issue to 7th 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. World wide 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 22nd 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 dereserved 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 Railwaymen 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.Com.
N.B.DUTTA Central Working President,Com.
M.K.SHAJI General Secretary, SC Rly and other Leaders will address. All are
invited to participate without fail.
Venue: SHANMUGASAMY MAHAL VILLIVAKKAM CHENNAI
ON FEBRUARY
06TH 2015 FROM 10.00 – 14.00 HRS
ENSURE YOUR PARTICIPATION
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