Inland Letter to MR

To

Sri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu

Hon’ Minister for Railways,

Rail Bhavan, New Delhi.

Respected sir,

I belong to the Loco Running staff category of the Indian Railways. In 2006 the Railway Board agreed to constitute a High Power Committee with an eminent Judge of High Court, to go into the issue of Duty hours, rest, periodical rest, continuous night duty and allied matters pertaining to loco running staff. Though such an agreement was entered with the staff side, constitution of High Power Committee never took place for a long period of 5 years, till 2011.

The said committee deliberated the issue of Duty Hours, Rest, Periodical rest, Night duty and allied matters with all stake holders ie the Railway Management, Unions, Federations etc. The committee submitted its recommendations in Aug 2013.

The staff side also discussed the recommendations with the Ministry of Railways and requested some modifications in one or two recommendations though most of the recommendations were accepted by the staff side. Even after a lapse of 2 years, the recommendations gather dust and no serious efforts seem to be taken to implement the same.

Continuous duty for 13hrs and above in one trip, crippling effect of continuous night duty for 6 nights, inadequate rest after every trip, meager weekly rest, appalling condition of the Running rooms, stringent punishment of Removal/Dismissal for Signal Passing At Danger which caused no repercussion , made the life of running staff miserable. The cascading effect of such service condition reverberate in their family and social life and even they are not in a position to look after children and aged parents as other railway workers do.

Taking all these infirmities and to find a solution on this issue of running staff, the Railway Board with a social outlook and as a model employer earnestly constituted this committee. The staff also waited for 10 long years silently suffering all the odds attached to their peculiar working conditions in the hope that the precarious condition of work will be eased by the Railway Board with its earnest by accepting and implementing the recommendations at least in a short time frame. Still we keep our hope that justice will be extended in a war footing.

Sir, I as a subordinate, plead before your Ministry to accept and implement the recommendations of High Power Committee 2013 along-with minutes of officers meeting on SPAD, HLSRC recommendation and also consider the grievances is submitted by AILRSA on 4th May 2015 for a better life for me, my colleagues and the family.


Thanking You Sir,

Yours faithfully

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