Members of the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) demanded that the government stop privatisation, outsourcing system and selling away of railway assets in Indian Railways.
The loco running staff raised slogans urging the government to stop anti-employees’ measures and save Indian Railways.
Loco pilots across the South Central Railway (SCR) were celebrating the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of AILRSA from November 28 to 30. They took out a rally from Railway Parcel Office to Gymkhana Grounds, where the rally culminated in a public meeting.
Former MP and chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee, Indian Railways, Basudeb Acharia, who was the chief guest for the programme, said due to increasing privatisation, the organisation was slowly slipping into the hands of private persons.
CITU general secretary and former MP Tapan Sen, who flagged off the rally, congratulated the loco pilots for celebrating the golden jubilee celebrations of the association, which was formed in Vijayawada in 1970.
MLC K.S. Lakshmana Rao blamed the government for downsizing the staff in railways and called upon the employees to fight against privatisation. AILRSA central vice-president T. Hanumaiah and general secretary general M.N. Prasad, demanded that the government run crack specials ensuring that they touch headquarters, sanction leaves, give weekly off, declare running staff under ‘intensive category’ and fill up vacancies.
Leaders Harilal, P.S. Suriya Prakasam and Rajib Gupta, appealed to the Centre to scrap national pension scheme and restore old pension scheme, provide facilities for women loco pilots and restrict consecutive night duties for two days for running staff.
