Notice matter for 14 & 15 Dec Delhi program

ALL INDIA LOCO RUNNING STAFF ASSOCIATION

Regd. No: 17903                                            HQ: Adra,

Web Site: www.ailrsa.com, Blog: www.blog.ailrsa.com Android App: AILRSA

President                                                                    Secretary General

L MONY                                                                         MN PRASAD

THIEF…… THIEF…… THIEF………
A mob is running fast, the very first man with a bag on his shoulder too call thief, thief…….

Where is the thief?

Accidents after accidents, safety review committees follow one another. All committees point their fingers on human failures for causing 80% to 90% of accidents – but they suggest to spent crores and crores of rupees for renewal of tracks, signals, bridges and rolling stock. They do spend so many crores too. Whatever minor expenditures recommended for Human Resource Development is being neglected. Accidents again happen. The same mob repeats. Everyone calls thief, thief………… nobody catch the thief.

Loco running staff agitate and agitate and again agitate on their inhuman working hours, insufficient rest periods, continuous night duties, un-ergonomic loco cabs that bring avoidable early fatigue, insufficient time with family, unsafe working, violations and short cut procedures, etc. Whenever the agitation gain momentum, whenever a judicial intervention, severe criticism from labour department or general public come against Railways, then comes a declaration of ‘in house’ committee in different names – High power – High level or Joint committees.

The duty hours at a stretch became hot once again after 2004 – (Yes. It is once again - It became too hot in 1973 forcing Railways to agree for 10 hours limit) - Parliamentary standing committee recommended 8 hours duty in 2004, it became a demand of JCM among 20 point charter of demands in 2006, then came the agreement to form a High Power Committee on HOER in 2006.

Loco running staff did not keep quiet. They went on agitation in different forums. Demand for Judicial Review of HOER too was prominently placed among 6th CPC anomalies. So it naturally referred to NIT in 2012. Intensive classification order came through Ministry of Labour during 2011 – 2012. Then after a long five years High Power Committee on HOER was appointed in 2011. They gave their report in 2013. Meantime came Anil Kakhodkar Committee in 2012, SPAD committee minutes in 2012, committee after committees. Again another Joint committee with AIRF & NFIR representatives is appointed in 2014 – but no meeting is called. Thus there are committees after committees, the mob is shouting thief, thief, thief.. Nobody catch the thief.

The HPC is a purely bureaucratic committee. They took evidence from Railway officers in Divisional, Zonal and Board level, trade unions and all stake holders. They recommended certain improvements and the report rests with Railway Board since August 2013. Immediately AILRSA demanded certain modifications on the recommendations.

Still Railway Board incubates on it. Long two years has passed after HPC made their recommendations!.. 10 years passed after declaration of HOER review!!.. How long should we wait? Should not we find an end to the evading tactics of Railways on HOER review, exploitation labour causing accidents and punishing the poor Loco Pilots? The inaction of Railway Board on this important matter, that too for long 10 years is shameful affair from an organ of Government – the Railway Board. AILRSA central committee decided to fight tooth and nail against the injustice and decided to draw the attention of Hon ’ble Prime Minister, Railway Minister, Labour Minister, all MPs and all forums that can persuade the Railway Board to act on the issue of revision of HOER.

THE PRESENT PROVISIONS OF HOER, RECOMMENDATIONS OF HPC AND  THE CHANGES DEMANDED BY AILRSA

Subject	Existing Provisions Of HOER	Recommendation by High Power Committee	Changes demanded By AILRSA
Duty at a stretch	12hrs plus 1 hr(13hrs) and unlimited (10hrs Running duty)	11 hrs plus 1 hour (12hr) (9hrs Running Duty)	Intensive classification with 6 Hrs duty
Headquarters Rest	12hrs for duty of less than 8hrs and 16hrs for duty of more than 8hrs	16hrs irrespective of duty performed. (variations permitted for Suburban services by zonal railways)	Not less than 16hrs plus 2 hrs/ Curtailed portion of rest at O/S should be given in addition to normal HQ rest.
Periodical rest	Four periods of 30 hrs  or 5 periods of  22hrs in a month	Four periods of 40hrs in a month	Four periods of 46 hours ie, PR is after HQ rest..
Outstation rest	8 hrs Rest after 8hrs or more duty or Equal to the hours of duty for less than 8hrs duty	8 hrs irrespective of duty performed. (variations permitted for Suburban services by zonal railways)	O/S rest uniformly 8hrs irrespective of duty performed.
Absence from Headquarters	Shall not be more than 3 or 4 days at a stretch normally.	Shall be fixed at 72hrs	Should be reduced to 36 hours maximum
Continuous Night Duties	Limited to  six consecutive nights	shall be limited to two and 3rd night for return trip only	Restrict consecutive night duties to two with an interval of 2 days between them.
Running Room	Poor resting facilities and sub standard food with limited subsidy	A/C Running room with 3/4 star hotel facilities and fully subsidized meals of Rajdhani Express standard.	“Three star” facilities with monitoring of worker/employer representatives along with old ration based system.
Punishment	Minimum punishment of removal from service for SPAD	Punishment for SPAD shall be reviewed taking into account repercussions and past record of LP.	Capital punishment for unintentional mistake, Non consequential SPAD shall not be counted as accident.

AILRSA calls upon all loco running staff to raise their voice united through demonstrations, representations and mass participation in


36 hours fast before the Railway Ministry

on 14th and 15th December 2015.


LOCOMEN UNITY ZINDABAD                                                 AILRSA ZINDABAD