Several loco running staff of Tiruchi Railway Division affiliated to the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU) staged a protest here on Monday alleging unfair treatment by the Ministry of Railways with regard to their pay structure and advancement prospects and in support of their other demands.
The demonstration in which over 160 loco pilots, assistant loco pilots and loco inspectors participated lasted over three hours in front of the office of Divisional Railway Manager here. The demonstration was led by the SRMU Tiruchi divisional secretary S. Veerasekaran.
The protesters wanted the railway administration to ensure safe working conditions for loco pilots and take immediate action to fill up all vacancies in the running cadre. They demanded that the “harassment” of running staff by evaluation of CVVRS (in-cabin cameras) in locomotives should be stopped.
They also demanded that the arbitrary recommendations of the ED committee on surrender of 10,000 loco pilot post by adopting various “unreasonable steps” such as increasing the working hours, reducing the depots and even transferring the loco pilots to adjoining division / zone should be withdrawn totally and that no decision should be taken without consulting the All India Railwaymen Federation.
A memorandum addressed to the Chairman, Railway Board, New Delhi, and submitted to the Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi, by a section of running staff here on Monday after the demonstration said the recent instructions given by the Railway Board that the loco running staff should surrender their mobile phones at the running rooms to the caretaker while checking in had resulted in widespread discontentment and anger among the running staff.
The loco running staff, including chief loco inspector being the frontline staff, were the most important and vulnerable categories of the Indian Railways who were working hard day-in and day-out along with traffic running staff (Train Managers) in all weather conditions to transport all kinds of essential commodities and passengers throughout the year.
However, they were being subjected to “unfair treatment” by the Ministry of Railways in so far as their pay structure and advancement prospects were concerned, the memorandum further said.
Further, their duty hours were not being restricted to eight hours despite sustained demands and persuasions by the All India Railway Men Federation. The memorandum demanded that the proposal to abolish the post of senior shunter be given up immediately.
