Mumbai: The Western Railways’ plan to run trains with an all-women ticket-checking staff has been a non-starter. Intercity Express, the first such train, had to be cancelled on Wednesday due to the derailment of a goods train in Saphala the previous day. Besides this, women ticket-checking staff are protesting assignments on long-distance trains. Altogether 43 women have been enlisted for the initiative.
“We have written a letter and submitted a signature campaign wherein 36 out of the 43 women, have agreed to work in long-distance trains. But railway officials have turned a deaf ear to our request [to exempt the others],” said a woman ticket-checker on condition of anonymity. The letter lists the reasons for seeking exemption: among others, the women mention complaints from their male counterparts of passenger misbehaviour, heavy rush on intercity trains, and a staff shortage, given that they are already working on Mumbai’s local trains.
In particular, the women mention the “notorious” passengers who travel between Borivali and Surat, and manhandle even the male ticket-checking staff. Intercity trains, they mention, are already manned by ticket-checking staff at Surat. Change of assignment to Mumbai will lead to “skirmishes” and increase chances of humiliation, the letter says.
Bandra Terminus, on the other hand, proves difficult even for male ticket-checkers to reach in the early morning or leave late in the night, due to “its surroundings and notoriousness.”
Most women staffers live far from the suburban section with their families, and late night travel will hamper their personal lives. Besides, many of them are over 45 years of age and suffer from gynaecological disorders. The stress involved in manning coaches will “drastically increase our difficulties,” it says.
Railway officials, though, are not convinced, and say working conditions are “comfortable”. “This is all done by the union, which doesn’t want the male monopoly to disappear from long-distance trains. They have brainwashed these women,” said an official, on condition of anonymity.
WR officials have even told women ticket-checkers that if they will not work on long-distance trains, they will not be given restrooms, and other facilities will be discontinued. “Why then should they be paid as much as the men? They should understand the nature of such duties and then join the railways,” said the official. Saurabh Prasad, ADRM, Western Railway, added, “We treat our staff equally when it comes to work, and don’t understand why women are protesting so much. We support them. The trains chosen for women staffers leave in the morning and return by evening.” Women ticket-checkers should work in a healthy environment, said Arti Singh Parihar, Senior DCM, WR. “There’s always a first time for everything.”
This is not the first time the Railway authorities have faced opposition from women ticket-checkers. Before the move to have women ticket-checkers on the Intercity Express was finalised, Railway officials wanted to deploy an all-women staff on the Shatabdi Express. The move did not take off on account of protests from women, including threats of a ‘dharna’.
On the Intercity Express, though, the women staffers will begin work on Thursday. One woman ticket-checker insisted that the Railways withdraw the decision. “They will be in trouble, given the number of complaints from the women everyday.”