Notice Matter for Campaign meetings:

ALL INDIA LOCO RUNNING STAFF ASSOCIATION 

Dear Comrade, 

AILRSA 22nd All India BGM held at Jodhpur on 24 & 25 September 2018 decided to organize a series of campaign meeting from branch level to Zonal level and educate the running staff and prepare them for a mass agitation, stoppage of work from any date after February 2019 if the demands are not settled. AILRSA CWC on 17 February 2019 at AILRSA Central office at Ghaziabad will take a suitable decision, the decision will announce at MASS RALLY of Loco Pilots to Parliament on 18 February 2019 

Our demands: 

1. Revise running allowance rate as per RAC 1980 formula first from 01.01.2016 on account of increase in Pay and further revise from 01.07.2017 on account of revision of TA rate. 

2. Ensure parity in pension to pre-2016 retired running staff with that of post-01.01.2016 retired running staff. 

3. Implement the recommendations of High Power Committee on duty hours and rest period in letter and spirit. 

4. Maintain Railways in public sector undertaking and stop privatisation and outsourcing. 

5. NPS to be withdrawn instead old pension scheme to be introduced. 

1.RUNNING ALLOWANCE: 

Running allowance is not just an allowance but a part of BASIC. 30% of basic pay is given to running staff as Running Allowance. RAC 1980 derived a formula to fix the running allowance. For past 3 decades the formula continues without dispute. AILRSA, NFIR and AIRF had taken a common stand that mileage allowance to be finalized as per RAC 1980 formula. 

After 7th CPC entire 33 lakh employees are getting revised allowance rates from 01.07.2017. But for a small portion of workers (hardly 1 lakh) still getting the old rates. Running staff is the wheel movers of the Indian Railways. 

AILRSA organized many agitation programs and met CRB and Minister of Railways. But unfortunately the decision is dragging indefinitely. 

AILRSA demands revision of running allowance rate as per RAC 1980 formulae from 01.01.2016 on increase in basic pay and further from 01.07.2017on revision of TA rates. 

2. PENSION PARITY: 

The Government of India, after the 7th CPC recommendations, has taken a policy decision for bringing PARITY in PENSION between the pre and post 01.01.2016 Retirees. The method of implementation was circulated through DOPT Circulars. 

But, when it come to the revision of Pension of pre-2016 retired Running Staff, a new instruction has been issued by the Railway Board vide order no: RBE 13/2018, completely deviating from the prescribed method of calculation which is totally against the policy decision of the Government of India and a discrimination against the Running staff. 

Because of this order the running staff retired between 2006 and 2016,and retired between 1996 and 2006 and those who retired before 1996 are losing 16 %, 29.5 % and 38.5 % pension respectively. 

The said Railway Board order may please be reviewed and the benefit of parity in Pension granted by the Government of India be ensured to pre-2016 retired Running staff, without any discrimination. 

3. IMPLEMENT HPC REPORT: 

In 2005 Central Govt Employees strike AILRSA gave strike notice isolating NFIR and AIRF and so JCM included the only Railway men’s demand of review of HOER among 20 point charter of demands in 2006 strike notice. 

In conciliation talks by then cabinet secretary review of Hours of Employment Regulation(HOER) was given for a judicial review, but both the recognised federations NFIR and AIRF joined the chorus of railway board that a judicial review is not required and a in-house committee is enough. For 6 years Railway Board sat on the issue and in 2011 declared a High Power Committee with retired railway bureaucrats without a judicial or labour representative. 

In 2013 this High Power Committee came with slightly good recommendation such as increase of 30 hrs weekly rest to 40 hours and reduction of 6 continuous night duty in a week to 3 but not implemented. AILRSA had to sit on hunger fast at New Delhi demanding to implement the railways own recommendations. 

In 2016 Railways came out with their dual stand rejecting important recommendations such as 40 hrs weekly rest and continuous night duties. Railways states that out of 89 recommendations 70 are accepted, but the important ones are in the left over 19 recommendations. AILRSA demands to implement 40 hrs PR and other favourable recommendations. 

4. UNBUNDLING OF RAILWAYS: 

AILRSA condemn the accelerated move of Central Govt. to privatise Indian Railways in line with the Bibek Debroy Committee report. We observe that the move to unbundle Indian Railways and steps taking in this direction like allowing 100% FDI, handing over railway stations to private players etc. are against the interest of public and workers. We demand to stop all such movements and keep Indian Railways in public sector. 

5. SCRAP NPS: 

We demand to scrap PFRDA ACT and new pension system (NPS) and grant pension and family pension to all railway employees recruited after 01.01.2004 under railway service (pension rules, 1993). Running staff are compensated for the tough and inhuman working conditions while on service by way of allowing an enhanced rate of pensionary benefit adding 55% pay element to basic pay. The NPS does not take care of this aspect but left the subscribers under market vagaries and hence we demand to continue the old pension scheme. 

All our efforts to draw the attention of the Railway management to resolve these grievances fell on the deaf ears, which invariably caused a serious resentment among the running staff. This forced this organisation to take a decision to go for a strike, though this Association is not for stoppage of trains. But the attitude of the railway administration and the failure of all democratic processes have compelled us to resort to this extreme step of strike. 

WORKING CLASS UNITY ZINDABAD                             AILRSA ZINDABAD