The 68th AGM of National Railway Mazdoor Union (CR&KR) organised at Nagpur

Non-creation of posts to man additional assets enforces unaffordable workload to the existing staff

Upholding the moral and ethical responsibility to act as a watchdog of the social transformation, this union challenges the dubious planning of government to withdraw the privilege of affordable train journey to common man, abolition of various type of concessions, usage of multiple model of fare fixing formulas, initiative of privatized train operations with high ticket fare and unaffordable utility of facilities at station premises being managed by RLDA & IRSDC

Nagpur: National Railway Mazdoor Union (CR/KR), the largest trade union representing the railway work force of Central railway and Konkan railway is organizing its 68th Annual General Council Meeting (#AGCM) from 19th to 21st December 2022 at Nagpur.

This union having its recognition gained through secret ballot as the number one union of Central Railway is an affiliate of All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) representing about nine lakh employees out of the on roll staff of about 11 lakh employees serving in Indian Railway across the country.

Prominent national leaders of the federation including General Secretary of AIRF Com. Shivagopal Mishra, other leaders representing various zones and thousands of delegates, visitors and members of the union are attending the three day convention in high spirit and enthusiasm as ever been.

Detailed deliberations and discussions is going on prominent issues including the transforming status of railways from public utility service to a corporate entity, NPS, draconian clauses of the newly enacted Labour Code, Privatisation, Outsourcing, corporatization of production and maintenance units, disinvestment of railway subsidiaries, outright discarding of railway assets including land, infrastructures, residential colonies, schools, stadiums, recreational infrastructures and other tangible and non-tangible assets through NMP policy, non-filling up of lakhs of vacant posts, arbitrary surrendering of posts and other sensitive staff welfare matters.

From the data released by govt sources reveals that more than 2.5 lakh posts are lying vacant in railways. In Central Railway itself it is reported that there are more than 27,000 vacancies to be filled. The matter of concern is that the maximum numbers these vacant posts are in the safety categories of Engineering, Running, Electrical and Mechanical, S&T, and Operating Departments which is badly required for safe operations of train working, repair and maintenance activities of the rolling stock.

The inadequate number of staff and non-creation of posts to man additional assets enforces unaffordable workload to the existing staff. By virtue of work related compulsions they are tempted to adopt shortcut methods while discharging their highly sensitive duties.

The shortage of staff, materials and poor working conditions disable the workers to render qualitative service in adherence to the prescribed safety norms in operations, maintenance and upkeep of railway assets. Under situational pressure they are also forced to commit inadvertent errors and unintentional mistakes which could lead to disastrous results.

Hundreds of posts are already earmarked to get surrendered through matching surrender, revisions of yardstick, manpower augmentation, expenditure management and pruning of the workforce to facilitate outsourcing and contractualisation.

A major chunk of the railway youth workforce appointed on or after 01.01.2004 is deprived of the guaranteed pension as they are forced to subscribe for NPS. The fight for scrapping of NPS is being continued by AIRF & NRMU (CR/KR) placing it at a focal point in the charter of demand.

Though many state governments including Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Utharakhand, Panjab and recently Himachal Pradesh has decided to restore Old Pension Scheme, Railway administration is still averse to take a decisive stand on the subject matter ignoring the resentment of the workers.

The exploitative working conditions of the lakhs of contract workers engaged in railway activities will also have due space to air their grievances. After due deliberations, decisions will also be taken to formulate protest movements and trade union action programs against these sensitive issues directly effecting the workers, the common public in general and the poor commuters in particular.

Upholding the moral and ethical responsibility to act as a watchdog of the social transformation, this union challenges the dubious planning of government to withdraw the privilege of affordable train journey to common man, abolition of various type of concessions, usage of multiple model of fare fixing formulas, initiative of privatized train operations with high ticket fare and unaffordable utility of facilities at station premises being managed by RLDA & IRSDC.

In the backdrop of the above this 68th Annual General Council Meeting being held at Nagpur from 19th to 21st December 2022 will be instrumental to mould the consciousness of the railway workforce towards their preparedness for an inevitable mass movement to protect the railway industry and its employees through collective participation and constructive engagement of discussion in all sessions of the convention.

The above release issued by the com. Venu P. Nair the general secretary of #NRMU/CR&KR.