Motormen, loco pilots demand risk allowance
The motormen’s demand comes after track maintainers were given risk allowance
Citing Anil Kakodkar Committee report, employees say they fall under high-risk category.
After track maintainers,motormen , loco pilots and other employees of railways involved in train operations are demanding risk and hardship allowances.
About 35 per cent of the more than 13 lakh railway employees, including motormen, loco pilots,running staff , drivers, station masters, guards , technology supervisors , control and yard staff, signal inspectors and maintenance employees, come under safety category.
Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh .
Recently railway administration approved risk allowance for the track maintainers and gatekeepers.
“General secretary of National Federation of Indian Railwaymen M Raghaviah met Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, and handed him a memorandum of demands, including provision of risk allowances to all employees coming under safety category. The employees also demanded a hike in the minimum salary from Rs 18,000 to Rs 21,000,” said Khan.
According Khan, the safety category employees work under tremendous pressure and have many grievances.
“In 2016, the railway workers decided to go on strike from July 11, but after the intervention of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the presence of the then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the strike was postponed. But once again, we have been forced to choose the path of agitation because the administration didn’t pay much attention to our demands,” said Khan.
Justifying the risk allowance, another leader of Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh told Mirror, “If on average two workers died every day, it means that we are eligible for risk and hardship allowance, especially in Mumbai where the condition is more serious. If our deamand is not met, we will go on a strike.”
Station masters have also been demanding stress allowances for a logn time.
“Nowadays, the job of a station master has become very stressful due to heavy workload. It has also been observed that owing to the non-provision of proper accommodation, poor living conditions and long working hours, a number of station masters, assistant station masters, station superintendents, and deputy station superintendents often fall sick and suffer from hypertension,” said a station master who is not authorised to speak to the media.
According to trade union sources, Raghaviah will be visiting Mumbai on February 13. He will address a gathering of railway workers at Churchgate, and might announce the future course of action.
After track maintainers,
About 35 per cent of the more than 13 lakh railway employees, including motormen, loco pilots,
“According to the Anil Kakodkar Committee report, every day on average two railway employees die on duty. The report stated that all safety category workers face risk to their life,” said Shareef Khan, president of
Recently railway administration approved risk allowance for the track maintainers and gatekeepers.
“General secretary of National Federation of Indian Railwaymen M Raghaviah met Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, and handed him a memorandum of demands, including provision of risk allowances to all employees coming under safety category. The employees also demanded a hike in the minimum salary from Rs 18,000 to Rs 21,000,” said Khan.
According Khan, the safety category employees work under tremendous pressure and have many grievances.
“In 2016, the railway workers decided to go on strike from July 11, but after the intervention of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the presence of the then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the strike was postponed. But once again, we have been forced to choose the path of agitation because the administration didn’t pay much attention to our demands,” said Khan.
Justifying the risk allowance, another leader of Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh told Mirror, “If on average two workers died every day, it means that we are eligible for risk and hardship allowance, especially in Mumbai where the condition is more serious. If our deamand is not met, we will go on a strike.”
Station masters have also been demanding stress allowances for a logn time.
“Nowadays, the job of a station master has become very stressful due to heavy workload. It has also been observed that owing to the non-provision of proper accommodation, poor living conditions and long working hours, a number of station masters, assistant station masters, station superintendents, and deputy station superintendents often fall sick and suffer from hypertension,” said a station master who is not authorised to speak to the media.
According to trade union sources, Raghaviah will be visiting Mumbai on February 13. He will address a gathering of railway workers at Churchgate, and might announce the future course of action.
