South Central Railway Employees’ Sangh (SCRES) Vijayawada Division secretary B.V. Chalapathi Rao has called upon railway employees to participate in large numbers in the protest to be staged in New Delhi on April 28 against the “anti-labour” policies of the Railway Ministry and its move to privatise the sector.
The protest is being organised in response to a call given by the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen general secretary M. Raghavaiah to thwart attempts made by vested interests to gain control of the public carrier.
He said that the opening up of Railways to 100 per cent FDI would affect the livelihood of lakhs of employees as also the travelling public and alleged that the move was aimed at privatising various branches.
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“The situation has come to such a pass that the Railways is contemplating handing over the operation of certain trains to private entities. There is a plan to close down railway schools on frivolous grounds, and several other measures that will make Railways toe the line of capitalists are being adopted,” he added.
The SCRES will stage protests against the anti-worker policies in the run-up to the national-level agitation, Raghavaiah said, adding: “The service conditions of Railway employees has deteriorated, but the management is bent on extracting work from them no matter whatever occupational hazards they faced at workplaces.”
‘The opening up of Railways to 100 per cent FDI will affect the livelihood of lakhs of employees and the travelling public’