CITU-affiliated Nairuthya Railway Employees’ Union (NREU) has alleged that members of the union were being threatened and attacked allegedly by members of a rival trade union and they are even being prevented from canvassing for the election being held for recognition of trade unions in South Western Railway.
All-India vice-president of the CITU Basudeb Acharia, CITU State president V.J.K. Nair, general secretary of the NREU M.S. Venkatesh, general secretary of the All-India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) C. Sunish and legal adviser G. Rajan told journalists here on Friday that an atmosphere of fear was being created among employees of the South Western Railway, forcing them not to support the NREU.
Mr. Acharia said NREU members were even prevented from distributing leaflets about their objectives and the election manifesto on the premises of railway establishments, which was highly condemnable. He said it was shocking that SWR Mazdoor Union members were preventing the conduct of elections in a democratic manner. NREU members had filed a police complaint in this connection, he said.
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The NREU office-bearers said that the NREU had released its election manifesto, elaborating on what it planned to work on in the coming days for the welfare of railway employees and it would fight for the employees’ cause in a democratic way.
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Later in the day, NREU office-bearers, led by Mr. Acharia and Mr. Nair, met the Chief Personnel Officer and election officer Harikrishna and SWR general manager Ashok Kumar Mital and submitted a memorandum about the attacks on their members.
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NREU office-bearers told The Hindu that both the officials had assured them that the elections would be conducted in a democratic manner.The election for recognition of trade unions will be held on April 25, 26 and 27 in all the three divisions of SWR.