Members of Southern Railway Mazdoor Union staged a demonstration here on Thursday condemning the railway administration for forcing women workers to go alone for keyman work along railway track away from railway stations.
Its Madurai divisional secretary J.M. Rafi said the violation of Railway Board’s order not to employ women workers in far off places for track maintenance led to a woman being assaulted by three outsiders in Pudukottai district. The woman who sustained serious injuries was admitted to a hospital in Tiruchi. The union sought action against the supervisor who forced the woman to work alone in a remote place even when male employees were available.
Members of All India Loco Running Staff Association staged a demonstration seeking rectification of anomalies in fixing pay under recommendations of Seventh Central Pay Commission.
Its divisional president M. Sivakumar said that while the Finance Ministry had agreed to take into account the pay element unique to loco running staff, the Railway Board had not taken it into consideration while fixing the pay. As a result, while the average increase in pay for all railway employees was around 14.2 per cent, it was only 12.19 per cent for loco running staff, he said.
