36 Hours Hunger fast at New Delhi on 25.04.17

ALL INDIA LOCO RUNNING STAFF ASSOCIATION 

& 

ALL INDIA GUARD’S COUNCIL

M. N. Prasad                                                                                                 A. K. Srivastava

Secretary General / AILRSA                                                        General Secretary / AIGC 

+91 9434008950                                                                                        +91 9960711666 

PRESS MATTER FOR FAVOUR OF PUBLICATION 

New Delhi, 25-04-2017

Simmering discontent and agitative mood is very high among the Loco Pilots and Guards of Indian Railways against the apathy shown by the Government of India, Ministry of railways in resolving their, long pending, genuine demands and grievances.This situation has forced them to go on, nation wide, agitational programme of fasting by starving for 36 hours commencing from 08:00 am on 25-04-2017 till 08:00 pm on 26-04-2017. More than one lakh Loco Pilots and Guards are on fast .They are fasting even,while working trains,travelling spare onduty,under going training or doing special duty, as well as in off duty, at home or out station rest rooms, at functions or ceremonies, on leave or sick, irrespective of the situations.

As programmed, jointly, by the All India Loco Running Staff Association(AILRSA) and All India Guard’s Council(AIGC),the 36 hours fasting is observed, through out India, by Loco Pilots and Guards in all depots, divisions and zones. Similarly as programmed, the central leaders of AILRSA and AIGC are sitting in fast at Jantar- Mantar, in New Delhi and the other leaders and cadre are sitting in fast in all the divisional head quarters, all over Indian Railways.

Through this program, the Loco Pilots and Guards have come to streets to high light and take to the notice and to draw the attention of Government and Public to their plight of sufferings and injustice meted out to them in order to get an amicable negotiated settlement, in the matter ofunsafe and inhuman working conditionsresulting in forcing them to work with bad conditions of locomotives, rolling stock, track, defective signaling system and further subjecting them to work at a stretch for 15 to 20 hours with out rest or relaxation, not granting regular weekly rests,forcing them to stay away fromheadquarters working trains for 4 to 5 days, not giving adequate rest at head quarters and at out station, not granting leave, non filling up of vacancies, deprival of family life;victimizing the loco pilots by imposing capital punishment of removal from service for passing signal at danger, even though the train is stopped with in the safety zone ear marked for the train;lowering their status, dignity, and emoluments by allotting meager pay levels in 7th CPC Pay Matrix disturbing the vertical and horizontal relativity; bunching 6 promotional grades into single pay level of 7th CPC,rendering the promotions worthless and non remunerative;while central government employees have been given an increase of 14.29% in fixing the pay in 7th CPC,the same is deprived in the case of loco pilots and guards; violation of 1980 running allowances committee formula for calculation of running allowance rates; running trains without guards etc.

Thus the Loco Pilots and Guards jointly demand to settle the following without any further delay

Ensure 14.29% hike in pay to all Running staff in 7CPC, as given to all Central Govt. staff.

Classify Running staff as intensive and limit maximum duty from ON to OFF to 8 hours.

Revise crew links with not more than 2 continuous night duties and 40 hours weekly rest.

Withdraw RB order to impose removal/dismissal as minimum penalty for Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD)

Revise Running allowance as per RAC 1980 formula.

Elevate ALP to Pay Level 6 and allot distinct higher Levels to Loco Pilots and Guards.

Stop running of Goods trains without Brake Van and Guard and include Guards in safety category.

Scrap New Pension System(NPS).

The fasting is inaugurated by Com. Tapan Sen MP, General Secretary CITU at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.

The following T U leaders and Parliamentarians addressed the gathering at fasting.

Com. BC Sharma, NFIR

Com Yadav, MLA of Aam Admi Party

Com. MN Prasad, Secretary General AILRSA

Com. Srivastav, General Secretary, AIGC