Railways to consider shift of job category for women employees

Women track maintainers, Assistant Loco Pilots may get option to change nature of work

Many women employees engaged as Assistant Loco Pilots have been complaining of poor facilities while on duty, especially during pregnancy and other days when they cannot sit continuously for long hours. Picture for representation. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

In what could be a huge relief to women employees working as Track Maintainer and Assistant Loco Pilot, the Ministry of Railways has planned to consider their application seeking change in job category. 

The move that could benefit hundreds of women employees facing hardships by their nature of work as Track Maintainers or Assistant Loco Pilots follows representations made by trade unions to the railway management over the years.  

One-time option

In a communication to General Managers of all Zonal Railways, the Railway Board has called for the number of women Track Maintainers and Assistant Loco Pilots in their respective zones who had requested a change in job category. 

Acting on a request made by the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) asking to give women Track Maintainers and Assistant Loco Pilots a one-time option to change their job category, the Railway Board initiated the process of collecting information on such employees, including those in other categories, who had sought a shift from their assigned category. 

The Indian Railways, one of the largest employers of the Government of India, has more than 12 lakh employees in various categories like Mechanical, Electrical, Commercial, Safety and Engineering among others. The railways has employed about 99,000 women. Out of which, a few thousands are deployed in the Engineering, Electrical and Mechanical departments. 

Many women employees engaged as Assistant Loco Pilots have been complaining of poor facilities while on duty, especially during pregnancy and other days when they cannot sit continuously for long hours.

“The locomotive cabin is a small space with little facilities. Loco Pilots are put on duty for about 6 hours in express trains and nine hours in freight trains. It’s difficult even for men to attend nature’s call as express trains have stoppages at stations just for a couple of minutes,” a senior Loco Pilot said.

All India Railwaymen Federation president N. Kanniah said the union had represented the problems faced by women employees, particularly crew, track women and Travelling Ticket Examiners, to the Railway Board and the management had agreed in principle to consider the request of those seeking a shift in job. 

Pressure for train crew, including Train Managers, has been an issue that the railways has been focusing to address in recent times. A senior railway official said after a Train Manager (Guard) fell from a moving express train and died near Gudiyatham in Chennai Division in August last year, steps were taken to ensure that continuous duty was not given to women guards, railway sources added.