AILRSA SWR Zonal BGM Notice

ALL INDIA LOCO RUNNING STAFF ASSOCIATION

     Regd. No. 17903                 HQ -ADRA

                   SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY 

                                                                                                                                          

            

        5^th Zonal BGM

        on 11^th April 2015, Sat,

        RS Pandian Nagar

( Rotary Centre, JLB Road)

                           at MYSURU

                                     “FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS”

Dear Comrades,

AILRSA South Western Railway is organising its 5^th Zonal BGM at Mysore on 11^th April 2015.While going for a general body meeting, so many new questions are before the working class to be analysed and addressed.

There is a threat of amending labour laws in Parliament in favour of corporate bodies. Rajasthan Government has already amended the labour laws against the working class. With the existing labour laws itself Loco running Staff couldn’t get 8 hours duty and a calendar day rest in the 68 years history of independent India, so what will be our fate with corporate friendly labour laws!

Today the working class cannot expect justice from the Parliament where more than 60% of MPs are with assets of Rupees100 crores or more. Although prima-facie it appears that the Government is democratically elected by the citizen, the elected Government is remotely controlled by the corporate and these corporate are dictating policies that are to be adopted by the Government above the might of the citizen who has voted and elected the Government. The successive Governments after 1991 has sold the natural resources of the country which cannot be measured like coal,  gas, petroleum, spectrum, public sector industries with enormous land to private sector for pittance and later started lamenting that there is no revenue in the treasury and thrust the contributory pension on the Government employees. The contributory pension scheme is also designed in such a way that corporate fund managers can loot the hard earned savings of the workers. Meanwhile the Parliament hiked their salaries threefold without any pay commission for them and kept their pension in Government sector even for one year service. For the past 20 years we have seen huge corruption like 2G scam, KGB Gas Scam Coal Gate, Defense purchase scam, Industrial disinvestment scam, etc., which are the by product of globalization and liberalization. During fight against these corruptions, we saw the birth of a new political party AAP and it has captured the power in Delhi state assembly which is also a byproduct of LPG policies. We are also seeing how the corporate are looting the public sector banks by non re-payment of huge loan amounts and successive Governments writing off their dues and then lamenting on poor farmer’s crop subsidy, citizen’s cooking gas subsidy etc. From last  year Budget, we have also seen the Finance Minister stopping the mentioning of tax forgone figure of corporate stating that it cannot be recovered and hereafter the public need not know that figure anymore.  

The Government has already killed many Public sector firms like BSNL, Air India etc. in favour of private players and now running behind Insurance sector with the announcement of 49% FDI and Railways with 100% FDI and PPP in train operating sector. Surprisingly, the recognized federations which stated in yesteryears that privatization and contactorisation is the Government policy matter which unions need not intervene are now coming against Privatization, PPP, Corporatization and FDI with a slogan of SAVE RAILWAYS and AILRSA is appreciating their afterthought. The recent Railway budget has opened the doors for operating of goods trains by corporate on Government laid tracks which is similar to leasing out BSNL towers to TATA and Reliance telecom for petty rents. The private sector is sure to capture the 25% Railway network which is earning 75% of total Railway revenue by various dubious methods with the help of Babu’s like Mahesh Kumar’s ,Krithivasan’s and many unknowns who are champions of corruption, and in future we will hear that Railways are making heavy loss. The passengers who are enjoying 52 kinds of concessions and   subsidised passenger fares from goods earnings will be a story of past. Railways are likely to be declared as a sick unit under the existing industrial laws and workers will be denied DA, bonus, increments, pension, privilege pass etc., and the present 13 lakhs secured employees will join the pool of insecure Government employees of BSNL, Air India and other sick public sector industries. The decision of Railways to promote Airtel for CUG mobile connections sidelining BSNL proves the corruption in the deal and attitude of one public sector not promoting another public sector. When many of the privatized Railway companies of Britain and Brazil are brought back to Government sector due to its total failure, it is sad that Indian Government is refusing to learn a lesson from them. Indian Government is unwilling to learn a lesson from Delhi Metro construction sold to Reliance on the stretch Delhi to Delhi airport. The project was later deserted by them after sub standard work of tunnel walls started leaking and handed over to DMRC again. Indian Government is not learning anything from the neighboring Chinese Railways which is growing as the number one Railway in the world under the Government sector.

In this general body period, we have also seen the retrenchment of 30000 middle level IT engineers of TCS and for the first time they forming trade union under the banner of CITU. The IT employees in the yesteryears who refused to be identified as workers and spent their leisure time extravagantly drinking and dancing in clubs has now joined the main stream trade union movement for their survival is a welcome sign. The group A and B officers of Railways can learn lesson from this and join with group C and D employees for a united struggle to save Railways as being done in the Banking sector.

The apprehension s of AILRSA is that so many favorable recommendations to Loco Running staff is kept in cold storage by the Railway Board. The recommendations of SPAD minutes by Railway Board in 2012 and High Power Committee in 2013 for reduction in duty hours, night duties, calendar day rest, 2 hours calling time excluded in HQ rest, 8 o’ clock resuming from leave/sick are deliberately not implemented. Even after the Joint Secretary of Ministry of Labour who is the appellate authority under HOER upheld the order of RLC Chennai to re classify Loco Pilots of passenger carrying trains as intensive, the Railways went on appeal to High Court of Chennai and surprisingly the court instead of dismissing the appeal, admitted the case to help railways to buy time. The MACP case which was won by AILRSA/SR and CR was hijacked by Railway Board introducing a clarification that LP (P) and LP (M) are promotions in 4200 GP of LP (G) by allowing increments and finally MACP is denied to Loco Running staff alone in Railways. On introduction of VI CPC scales kilometer allowance rates were not derived as per formula and the ceiling amount of Rs.6000/- for income tax was made Rs.10,000/-. After first mileage revision when DA reached 50% and second revision when DA reached 100%, the ceiling amount was deliberately not revised from Rs. 10000/- upwards and Loco Running staff has ended up paying huge amount as income tax while other Railway staff are getting revised TA rates higher than mileage rates with 100% tax exemption. The Running staff with contributory pension scheme is not ensured with 55% retirement benefits, denial of higher grade pay fixation for medically de categorized Running staff, capital punishment for SPAD without any consequences, deliberate non filling up of vacancies with reduction of cadre strength resulting in denial of leave, weekly rest and head quarters rest are haunting the day to day life of Loco Running staff to a hell like situation. We are also facing a new threat of introduction of CC cameras in the Locomotives without improvements of ergonomics of Loco cabs, air conditioning, toilets, and time for meals break will demoralise the staff further reducing the efficiency inviting accidents. Although we have an achievement of getting our issues of pay scales, mileage, HOER etc., referred to National Industrial Tribunal (NIT) Mumbai, the Railway Board is deliberately delaying the outcome by skipping the sittings taking adjournments placing vague arguments.

            In South Western Railway AILRSA lead many agitations for filling up of vacancies, for getting legitimate PR and many other issues. AILRSA extend all sort of support for the victims of SPAD cases including financial support. AILRSA was able to highlight the cases through media also. In accidents, while the other departments tried to trap the Loco Pilot, AILRSA properly campaigned against such moves successfully.

In every SPAD cases railway is giving capital punishment in spite of being an un intentional offence, but in a murder case which is an intentional offence only in the rare of the rarest cases capital punishment is given, so railway should do away capital punishment according to Justice HR Khanna committee report.

            To sort out all the above said issues and issues regarding VII CPC scales, pay element/ kilometer allowance matter recently referred to VII CPC by Railway Board, we have to chalk out program of action in general body meeting along with assessing the past performance of our association. So AILRSA is giving a clarion call to all the Loco Running Staff of SWR to rally behind AILRSA and attend the General body and make it a grand success to achieve our demands to live with dignity as a worker in Railways.

WORKING CLASS UNITY ZINDABAD

Bengaluru

20.03.2015

PROGRAM: 11.04.15

 09.30 hrs.       Rally from Crew Booking depot Mysuru to BGM Hall

10.00               Welcome address, Condolence resolutions, Presidium, Honouring of Guests.

10.30               Inauguration: Com. TK Rengarajan MP

Key Note Address: Com. Amanulla Khan, All India President, All India Insurance Employees Association (AIIEA)

Addressing:

Com. MN Prasad, Secretary General AILRSA

Com. R Elangovan, Working President, DREU

Com. MS Venkatesh Murthy, General Secretary, NREU

Com. Prem Kumar, State Secretary, AIIEA

Com. Samanada Sagar, Zonal Secretary, AISMA

Com. M. Sankara Narayanan, AIGC

Com. M Rathnakar Shenoi, BEFI

Com. Balaji Rao , CITU, Mysuru               

Com. L Mony, Central President, AILRSA

Com. JS Tank, Central Treasurer AILRSA.

Com. T Hanumaiah, Central Vice President, AILRSA

Com. KC James, Joint Secretary General AILRSA

Com. R Murali, General Secretary, AILRSA SR

Com. VR Prakash, Zonal President, AILRSA SR

Com. MK Shaji, General Secretary, AILRSA SCR

Com. K Parthasarathy, AGS AILRSA SR

Com. GN Shaw Divisional Secretary, AILRSA GTL

13.00 to 14.00 Lunch Break.

14.00 Secretary’s report, Accounts statement.

14.30 Discussion

15.30 Reply and Resolutions

16.00 Election of New Office bearers.

17.30 Vote of thanks.