Letter to be given to all MP's

To

Shri

Honorable Member of Parliament

Respected Sir,

Sub: 36 hours fast by Loco Pilots of Indian Railways before Ministry of Railways on 14th and 15th December 2015, request for intervention and to expect your support.

This association represents the Loco running staff of Indian Railways. The service condition, that of their duty hours, daily/Trip rest period, weekly rest, consecutive night duty are governed by the hours of Employment Rules. The said rules were originally enacted in the year 1938, in British Raj. Though some modifications here and there were effected and now the said Rule is called Railway Servants Hours of Work and Periods of Rest rule 2005, the basic structure remain as of the rule 1938.

The duty hours at a stretch is 13 hours, in spite of the fact that 8 hours duty is National and International norm. Daily rest nationally and internationally stands at 16 hours, where as the 2005 rules of Railway prescribe 12 hours and 8 hours. The consecutive night duty as per 2005 rule is 6 nights, but ILO convention, National and International norms stand at 2.

The staff has staged many an agitations in this regard. In the year 1973 the labor minister announced in the Parliament that the Loco Running staff need not work for more than 10 Hours from sign on to sign off, being an agreement arrived at with the striking Loco Running Staff. But even after a lapse of 42 years the agreement to restrict the duty hours to 10 Hours not being implemented by The Ministry of Railways.

Parliamentary standing committee on Railways 2004, headed by Shri. Basudeb Acharia, recommended to limit the duty hours to 8 hours, that also not been considered yet. The Ministry of Labour declared in 2013 that the duty hours of loco Running Staff should be 6 Hours duly classifying the Loco Running staff category as intensive category under hours of work and periods of rest rules 2005. That also not been implemented.

In the mean time the ministry of railway agreed to appoint a judicial committee to review the working hrs of Loco Running and other staff in 2006. After along 5 years a High power committee to review hours of work and rest of Running staff and other safety related categories was appointed in the year 2011.

Any how the said committee submitted its recommendations in the year 2013. Those recommendations are not in line with the recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee 2004 to restrict the duty hours to 8 hrs, the announcement of Labour Minister in the parliament in 1973 that duty hrs will be restricted to 10hrs nor in line with the decision of ministry of labour that duty hrs should be 6hrs in 2013. The said recommendations of HPC are awaiting acceptance and implementation by the Ministry of Railways for the past 2 years.

The apathy shown by The Ministry of Railways made the workers disillusioned and agitated. This association constantly made appeals before The Ministry of Railways to accept and implement the recommendations, but all efforts became futile.

Under this circumstance we decided to stage a 36hrs fast commencing from 14th December 2015 in front of Ministry of Railways, New Delhi.

We here with enclose a memorandum addressed to Hon. Prime Minister. We earnestly request your good self to intervene in the matter and forward the memorandum to Hon. Prime Minister with your favourable recommendation.

We also make a petition before the Lok Sabha petition committee in the month of December 2015.

We earnestly request your good self to address the 36hrs fast commencing from 14th December 2015 at New Delhi and kindly extend your support to our cause.


Thanking you Yours faithfully

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