The Southern Railway Officers’ Association (SROA) will petition the Railway Board demanding exemplary punishment for the ten railwaymen accused of assaulting a divisional electrical engineer at the loco shed in Royapuram last month.
This follows the “disappointing outcome” of meetings the SROA leaders had with the Southern Railway General Manager and other top administrators on Thursday where they demanded stronger deterrent action against the railwaymen who owe allegiance to the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU), an SROA spokesman said.
“The administration’s only priority seems to be to buy peace with the troublemakers citing the necessity of maintaining good industrial relations. Such an attitude is totally insensitive to the morale of the officer cadre,” an SROA spokesman said.
The Royapuram incident was the second assault in as many months. In December, an electrical engineer at the EMU Car Shed in Velachery was roughed up by some subordinates reportedly for insisting that they sign the attendance book.
The SROA will now take up the issue with the Railway Board through its parent body, the Federation of Railway Officers’ Associations (FROA).
“This is because under the circumstances, we don’t see any support coming from the administration for the officer who was assaulted who now faces a sexual harassment charge foisted on him by the perpetrators of the attack,” an SROA office-bearer said.
The SROA and the Southern Railway Promotee Officers Association will convene an extraordinary general body meeting next Friday to chart out the future course of action.
