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ECoR engineers threaten mass casual leave

BHUBANESWAR: The East Coast Railway Engineers’ Association (ECoREA), a body of 1700 engineers of East Coast Railway zone, threatened to go on mass casual leave on March 9 and work-to-rule from April 9 if their grievances pertaining anomalies in sixth central pay commission (CPC) were not addressed.

“We have been neglected by railway authorities since fourth CPC for two decades.

Till the fourth CPC, the highest pay scale in Group ‘C’ was available to engineers only and was even higher than Group ‘A’ entry scale.

But later on engineers have been continuously neglected whereas railways has been upgrading the non-technical staff regularly,” ECoREA general secretary Bobin Mohanty said here on Wednesday. The engineers’ body accused that before fifth CPC, non-technical staff were placed below engineers but in fifth CPC they were made equal with rail engineers. “Now in the sixth CPC, non-technical staff were upgraded more than the rail engineers, mostly upgrading the accounts staff, teachers and nurses,” Mr. Mohanty said.

He ridiculed saying now a graduate engineer with degree in engineering would have to join railways in the same scale of pay with a nurse with diploma in nursing and nurses would get higher pay along with their allowances and overtime whereas engineers would not get the same benefits.

ECoREA said engineers were directly involved with safety and economy of Indian railways.

“When a mishap occurs anywhere the concerned engineers are immediately held responsible which is absence in case of non-technical staff like nurses, teachers and accounts,” ECoREA general secretary said.

Pointing out that due to arduous and demanding job profile coupled with low salary, no allowances and lack of career growth, the recent attrition rate in technical cadre had gone beyond 60 per cent, Mr. Mohanty said talented engineers should be attracted to railways by promising encouraging career prospects.

“If grievances are not addressed, engineers plan to gherao Rail Bhawan in middle of February and then take mass casual leave on March 9 and work-to-rule from April 9,” ECoREA threatened.

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