Railway union toughened stands on scrapping of NPS and DA Merger

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s persuasive pitch to railway employees unions has cleared the decks for more FDI inflows and private capital in national transporter that may be reflected in the rail budget.

After Modi’s statement that there would be no privatization of railways, the workers’ unions have softened their stand over several issues including FDI in the transport behemoth. However, the unions are sticking to demands relating to scrapping of new pension scheme (NPS) and DA mergers.

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Deployment of Ayurvedic/Homeopathic Medical Practitioners under Staff Benefit Fund Scheme — Age of retirement thereof

A.I.R.F.

All India Railwaymen,s Federation

4, State Entry Road,

New Delhi-110055

INDIA

No.AIRF/101(121)

 Dated: February 25, 2014

The Member Staff,

Railway Board,

New Delhi

Dear Sir,

Sub: Deployment of Ayurvedic/Homeopathic Medical Practitioners under Staff Benefit Fund Scheme — Age of retirement thereof

Ref: Railway Board’s letter No.E(W)2003/WE-1/3 dated 02.07.2003

Ayurvedic and Homeopathic Medical Practitioners of repute are engaged in the Railways under Staff Benefit Fund Scheme, and all the expenses incurred on this account are met from the relevant head of this fund.

These Medical Practitioners are, obviously, not regular employees of the Railways and are engaged on Honorarium basis, as such fixing their age of superannuation on par with regular railway employees, i.e. 60 years, is not logical as stipulated in Railway Board’s letter referred to above.

The Board are, therefore, requested to issue necessary amendments, fixing upper age limit for Ayurvedic/Homeopathic Practitioners engaged under Staff Benefit Fund Scheme 65 years, so that Railwaymen are able to enjoy benefit of getting treatment from the experienced medical practitioners of these fields.

Yours faithfully.

Sd/-

(Shiva Gopal Mishra)

General Secretary

Source:http://www.airfindia.com/AIRF%202014/Ayurvedic%20Doctors_03.03.2014.pdf

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Merger of Dearness Allowance with Pay

All India Railwaymen’s Federation 

(Estd. 1924)

4, State Entry Road, 

New Delhi-110055 

INDIA

No.AIRF/13

Dated: January 9, 2014

The Secretary(Exp.),

Ministry of Finance,

(Government of India)

North Block,

New Delhi

Dear Sir,

Reg: Merger of Dearness Allowance with Pay

On the persistent forceful demand of the Central Government employees, including Railwaymen, successive Central Pay Commissions were appointed by the Government of India with a view to improve upon wage structure and to grant parity with other employees of the Public Sector Undertakings in the wake of market inflation and price hike of essential commodities. These Pay Commissions, while recommending revised pay structure have also recommended grant of Dearness Allowance on the basis of increase in the Price Index.

The very purpose of compensating the pay with payment of Dearness Allowance is being defeated because of unbridled inflationary pressure on the economy and the consequent steep rise in the price of essential commodities.This has resulted in erosion of the value of the wage, remarkably beyond tolerable limit, as a consequence of which, payment of Dearness Allowance has failed to compensate devaluation of pay.

While Dearness Allowance was merged with the pay on crossing the percentage beyond 50% during V CPC as the actual value of wage devaluated because of market hike to compensate eroded value of the wages besides payment of Dearness Allowance, but this time Dearness Allowance, which has already gone beyond 80% w.e.f. 1st July, 2013, is yet to be merged with the pay.

It would, therefore, be quite appropriate and in the fitness of the thing that Dearness Allowance is merged with the pay for all purposes to compensate the erosion in the wage in the wake of market inflation and steep price hike of essential commodities which are posing serious constraints in the livelihood of the Govern employees in general and the low-paid employees in particular.

Yours faithfully, 

Sd/-

(Shiva Gopal Mishra)

General Secretary

Source: AIRF

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Railway Board is scheduled to meet the representatives of the two leading Railway Union on January 15 and 16.

This is after one of the two leading Unions-All India Railwaymen Federation conducted a strike ballot on December 20 and 21 across seventeen zones of the Indian Railway.

The other prominent one called the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen is planning to conduct a strike ballot on January 17 and 18 across the country.

The permanent negotiating machinery chaired by the Member Staff of the Railway board will hear the demands of the Unions.The Unions have threatened a strike in February 2014 if their demands are not addressed.

Earlier the strike ballot planned in September 2013 was deferred as the seventh pay commission was announced. However, senior leaders of the Railway Union have said that their other major demands which include abolishing new pension scheme and addressing the anomalies arising out of the sixth pay commission have remain unaddressed.

Senior Railway officials are sceptical over the timing of the demands. “It’s the election time and everyone is trying to get their demands through as this is a critical time for a government, no one would want to risk a strike. We will meet the union representatives and negotiate a solution,” said a Railway official.

In the recently concluded ballot of the AIRF in which about 8 lakh employees participated about 96% voted in favour of a strike, said a senior AIRF leader. Indian Railways employs about 14 lakh people, across the country.

Although Railway Unions have threatened strikes at various instances; it was only in 1974 under the leadership of George Fernandes that the Railway employees actually went on strike.

“There are many issues on which there is unanimity between the Railway Board and the Unions like revision of grade pay for running staff and station masters, but those demands are pending with the Finance Ministry. Going on a strike is a compulsion, we don’t like a strike. But our demands are justified and they should be addressed, “said Gumman Singh, leader of NRIF.

A possible strike can prove to be a nuisance for the Congress led United Progressive Alliance Government, already battling economic woes.

“A Railway strike means the entire economy comes to a halt. It is not the political cost but it the economic cost that is the cause of worry. Since the 7 th pay commission has already been announced, I don’t see a reason why the unions should threaten a strike,” said Akhileshwar Sahay, a railway expert.

According to experts and former Railway officials, the Railways has a good dispute resolution mechanisms at the district, zonal and division level which should address the current disputes. However experts agree that the threat of the strike could be arm-twisting the current government facing elections within few months.

“If they have any grievances from the sixth pay commission they can take them to the seventh pay commission. Any threat of strike should be dealt with an iron fist “ argued Sahay.

Source : Business Standard

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Appointment of STBS (Station Ticket Booking Sewaks) at ‘E’ category Stations.

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (BHARAT SARKAR)
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS ( RAILWAY MANTRALAYA)
(RAILWAY BOARD)

No. 2011/TG-I/20/P/JTBS

New Delhi, dated: 24.10.2013

General Managers,
All Zonal Railways.

(COMMERCIAL CIRCULAR NO. 66 OF 2013)

Sub: Appointment of STBS (Station Ticket Booking Sewaks) at ‘E’ category Stations.

   At present at ‘E’ Category stations, Booking Clerks have not been posted at most of the stations and ticket activities are performed by Station Masters (SMs) / Assistant Station Masters (ASMs) who are also performing operational duties. With a view to facilitate Station Managers/ Assistant Station Managers to concentrate better on train operations and also to facilitate passengers to get tickets it has been decided to appoint Station Ticket Booking Sewaks (STBS) at ‘ E’ Category stations as a pilot project for one year only at those stations where power and connectivity are available. Detailed features of the scheme are enclosed.

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38 POINT CHARTER OF DEMANDS FOR STRIKE BALLOT

All India Railwaymen's Federation

4, State Entry Road,
New Delhi - 110055.

   The 88th Annual Conference of the All India Railwaymen’s Federation, held at Visakhapatnam on 18-20  December, 2012, decided that, if the following burning grievances of the Railwaymen are not resolved in a  time-bound programme, AIRF would be compelled to conduct strike ballot as a first step for a decisive  struggle:-

   1. Filling-up all vacant posts.

   2. Sanction additional posts in commensurate with increase in the number of trains and workload.

   3. Stop outsourcing of perennial nature jobs, violating the provision of Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970.

   4. Scrap New Pension Scheme and cover all the staff with pension and family pension scheme as available to staff appointed prior to 01.01.2004.

   5. Implement recommendations of Cade Restructuring Committee.

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Modified ACP Scheme (MACPS) for Railway employees- clarification – reg.

National Federation of Indian Railwaymen
3, CHELMSFORD ROAD, NEW DELHI – 110 055
Affiliated to:
Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)
International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)

No.IV/NFIR/MACPS/09/Pt.7 

                                   Dated: 29.07.2013

The Secretary (E),
Railway Board,
New Delhi.

Dear Sir,
 
            Sub:   Modified ACP Scheme (MACPS) for Railway employees- clarification –  reg.
           
            Ref:     Railway Board’s letter No. PC-V/2009/ACP/2 dated 31.01.2013.
                                         —————
            NFIR has come across a case wherein the Railway Board has totally changed the clarification issued by the DoP & T detrimental to the interest of Railway employees though the Railway Board Claims to be acting on the advise of the DoP & T,the nodal authority in so far as allowing financial upgradation under MACP Scheme is concerned. To prove its contention, NFIR is furnishing below the details of the case for proper appreciation of the issue:

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Railway unions to oppose move to recruit retired loco pilots

CHENNAI: Railway unions are up in arms against the move to bring in retired loco pilots to do non-driving jobs.

Southern Railway has started appointing retired loco pilots as crew controllers, power controllers, lobby supervisors and to other back-office jobs that are currently handled by loco pilots who are in service.

Several loco pilots took part in a protest organised by Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU) on Tuesday in front of the station master's room at Madras Moore Market Complex suburban station against the move. The union has demanded that railways fill up the vaccancies instead of recalling retired loco pilots.

Dakshin Railway Employees Union (DREU) is planning to stage a similar protest at the same location on Wednesday. "The retired loco pilots are going to be working on daily wage basis in many safety-related posts. They will decide the crew allotments. They cannot be held accountable for the work they will be doing," said a DREU office-bearer.

Sources said that railway had a retirement policy whereby persons engaged in safety-related job can opt for voluntary retirement between 50 to 57 years of age. Sources said that it was also doubtful whether retired loco pilots would join because railway would be paying them just Rs 600 per day.

Chennai is a major division in Southern Railway in terms of the number of trains operated. Over 300 loco pilots work in the division. A good number of them, though trained to drive trains, also work as crew controllers, power controllers and other office works instead of operating trains.

As many loco pilots are employed as crew controllers and in other essential works, railways does not have adequate number of loco pilots to run trains. This shortage comes as a stumbling block for the railways, which is under pressure to operate special trains during festival and holiday seasons.

The argument of officials that the move was meant to make the most of existing loco pilots and operate as many trains as possible has not gone down well with the railway unions. As recruitments have been slow, railways do not have adequate loco pilots to operate trains. Many loco pilots, sources said, consider back-office jobs at the train control office as less strenous than running trains

Courtesy;timesofindia

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