Railway ticket examiners are set to intensify their protest against denial of better facilities for them. About 1,000 travel ticket examiners (TTEs) working in Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram Railway Divisions have been demanding modern restroom facilities for years.
On Wednesday, the International Workers Day, the TTEs will protest by lying down on platforms at Palakkad, Shoranur, Kannur and Mangaluru stations. An action council formed jointly by the TTEs and other employees unions will spearhead the protest.
Action Council leaders V. Unnikrishnan, Mujeeb Rahman, P.R. Sasikumar, K.K. Kirandas, K. Sreekumar and P.R. Rajesh said that they had no choice but to intensify their protests as the railway authorities did not listen to their long-pending demand for better restroom facilities.
“We submitted a petition to the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) demanding facilities like airconditioning, drinking water and canteen in TTE restrooms. We also demanded separate restrooms for women TTEs,” they said.
The Indian Railways Ticket Checking Staff Organization, the Employees Sangh, the Mazdoor Union, the Dakshin Railway Employees Union, the OBC Railway Employees Association and the Ticket Examiners Welfare Forum are supporting the agitation.
Panel files case
Meanwhile, the State Human Rights Commission has registered a case and sent notices to the heads of Palakkad and Thiruvananthapuram Railway Divisions.
The Divisional Railway Managers of Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad should give a detailed report to the Commission about the woes being faced by the TTEs within a month, said Human Rights Commission acting chairperson K. Baijunath.
