A.I.R.F.
All India Railwaymen's Federation
No.AIRF/160(C)(ii)(297)
Dated November 27, 2013
The
Secretary(E),
Railway Board,
New Delhi
Dear Sir,
Railway Board,
New Delhi
Dear Sir,
Sub: Strike ballot over the Indian Railways on 20th and 21st
December, 2013 on 36-point Charter of Demands — Resolution adopted in the 89th
Annual Convention of AIRF, held at Patna from 22-24 November, 2013
As per the Resolution unanimously adopted in the 89th Annual
Convention of the All India Railwaymen's Federation, held at Patna from 22nd to
24th November, 2013, Strike Ballot would be conducted all over the Indian
Railways on 20th and 21st December, 2013.
It is requested to advise all the Zonal Railways, Metro
Railway Kolkata, RDSO Lucknow and Production Units to extend all the facilities
for conducting Strike Ballot smoothly.
Copy of the Resolution, unanimously adopted in the
above-mentioned Convention of the A1RF, is enclosed herewith.
Yours faithfully,
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
General Secretary
RESOLUTION NO. 2 - PROBLEMS OF THE
RAILWAYMEN
The problems of railwaymen like filling up of vacancies,
sanction of addition posts in commensurate with additional work load, scraping
of New Pension Scheme, appointment of 7th CPC, removal of anomalies of
6th CPC, removal of ceiling of PLB, implementation of Welfare Schemes assured
by the Railway Ministers, implementation of the recommendation of Joint
Committee on the problems of Trackman, merger of Tech. Gr. II with Tech. Gr. I,
provision of 4800 as apex scale in Gr. ‘C’, upgradation of posts from Group ‘C’
to ‘B’, merger of grade pay Rs. 2400 with Rs. 2800, treatment of 100% CL/CPC
service as regular one, stepping up of pay of senior one, extension of the
scope of LARSGESS, demand for recruitment of wards of railwaymen, Accounts and
other Ministerial staff, grievances of Loco & Traffic Running Staff,
Traffic Operating, Shunting & Yard staff, Commercial & Ticket Checking
staff, Artisan staff, technical supervisors, Supervisors of other Departments,
P. Way staff, staff of Bridge and works of Civil Engineering Departments,
Signal & Telecommunication Staff, Paramedical and other Medical
staff, Health and Sanitation staff, staff of store department, Stenographers,
EDP staff, Hindi Translators, Scientific staff, Train Escorting Duty staff etc.
have been represented to the Ministry of Railways and the Govt. of India
repeatedly and through demonstrations before Parliament on 25th November, 2011
and 28th March, 2012. The problems were reiterated through a resolution during
last 88th Annual Conference of AIRF held in December, 2012 at Vishakhapattnam
followed by subsequent representations at different levels. Subsequently AIRF
in its Working Committee had to decide to conduct Strike Ballot. The Railway
Board at the Apex level had held a negotiation with AIRF on the Charter of
Demands on 23.08.2013 and certain issues were resolved.
The Govt. had placed the PFRDA Bill on the floor of
Parliament on 3rd September, 2013. All the Unions affiliated to AIRF throughout
the country has registered protest through various means against the PFRDA
Bill. But brushing aside the opposition the Govt. have passed the Bill on the
floor of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The same is now waiting for the ascent of
the President.
The General Council meeting of AIRF held at New Delhi on 13th
September deliberated on the whole issues and decided to conduct Strike Ballot
throughout the country on 20th & 21st December, 2013.
The Govt. have announced appointment of 7th Pay Commission on
25th September, 2013. The Railway Board have issued orders of restructuring of
certain Gr. ‘C’ categories on 8th October, 2013.
During Strike negotiation in February, 2006, the Govt. had
agreed to appoint a High Powered Committee to go into the question of duty
hours and the other problems of Running staff and other Safety Categories of
staff. The committee was appointed on 25.05.2011 after repeated
representations. The committee has since submitted its report to the Railway
Board on 23.08.2012. The recommendation of the Committee is far from
satisfaction and the problems need to be addressed.
After reviving the whole situation, the 89th Annual
Conference of All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) held at Patna from 22nd
to 24th November, 2013 demands on the Ministry of Railways and the Govt. of
India to have negotiated settlements on all the following issues, failing which
AIRF would be compelled to conduct Strike Ballot on 20th & 21st December,
2013.
36-point Charter of
Demands
1. Filling up all vacant posts.
2. Sanction additional post in commensurate
with the increase in the number of trains and workload.
3. Stop outsourcing of perennial nature of jobs
violating the provision of Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act,
1970.
4. Scrap New Pension Scheme and cover all
Railwaymen with Pension and Family Pension Scheme as available to the staff
appointed prior to 01.01.2004.
5. Recommendations of the Joint Committee
constituted to study the career progression and package for Trackmen has been
diluted arbitrarily. The recommendation should be implemented in to to.
6. Remove the ceiling limit of Rs. 3500 for the
purpose of payment of PLB.
7. Raise the ceiling of Income Tax deduction to
Rs.5.00 lakh.
8. Exempt Transport Allowance and Special Duty
Allowance from the perview of Income tax deduction and also raise the Income
Tax deduction ceiling on Running Allowance.
9. Remove all anomalies of 6th CPC as agreed
upon in the meeting of Departmental Anomaly Committee and resolve all anomalies
pending before NC/JCM Anomaly Committee
10. Complete Cadre restructuring of left over
categories.
11. Liberalize the procedure of GDCE, raise its
limit from 25% to 50% of DR Quota and arrange to hold the examination at
Zonal/Divisional level.
12. Merger of Grades of Technician Gr. II and
Gr. I duly granting GP of Rs.2800.
13. Provision of GP of Rs.,4800 in place of
Rs.4600 to all senior Supervisors.
14. Upgradation of 15% apex level Group ’C’
posts to Group `B’.
15. Settle the long pending grievances of
Running Staff such as granting of Running Allowance w.e.f.1-1-2006 duly
improving the ALK, Reduction in Duty Hours, Provision of Additional Allowance
to Running Staff working in Goods Trains and also to Traffic Running Staff
working as Goods Guards and Passenger Guards, improvements in the condition of
Running Rooms etc.
In SPAD Cases penalty of “Removal from Service”
should be withdrawn.
16. Running Allowance be paid to the medically
de-categorized Running staff kept on supernumerary posts and issue necessary
clarification for payment of final settlement dues taking 55% of Pay into
account .
17. Merger of Grade Pay of Rs.2400/- and Grade
Pay of Rs.2800 for all categories of Staff.
18. Grant Parity to Stenographers working in the field office
and that of the Secretariat in respect of Grade Pay.
19. Repair Quarters, roads, drains and do not
compel staff to stay in inhabitable quarters and pay House Rent Allowance to
such staff.
20. Reckoning of 100% Casual Labour/CPC Service
rendered as qualifying service for seniority and pensionary benefits pending
with the Government in spite of Hon’ble Supreme Court judgement.
21. Issue order for stepping up of Pay of
Seniors who are drawing less pay than the Juniors consequent on fixation of pay
due to implementation of VI CPC recommendations between the direct recruits and
promotees.
22. Stepping up of Pay of senior employee
on par with junior employee consequent on modification of ACP Scheme as MACP
and grant three financial upgradation on promotional
hierarchy.
23. The Safety Related Voluntary Retirement
Scheme has been modified as LARSGESS permitting the Railway employees in safety
categories to give voluntary retirement so as to enable their wards getting
appointed. The age should be extended up to 59 years.
Expand the scope of LARSGESS amongst all
categories of staff, re-consider the cases of candidates failed in PET and
allot Qrs.to the wards at par with compassionate ground appointees.
24. Improvement of conditions in the Railway
Hospitals and filling up of all vacancies of Doctors, Nurses and paramedical
staff, regularization of the services of Contract Paramedical staff, provide Medical
facilities to the staff posted in
roadside stations and Ganghuts.
25. The demand of recruitment of wards of
railwaymen as Substitutes has not been implemented by the GMs of the Zonal
Railways due to several restrictions imposed in the orders of the Railway
Board.
26. The welfare schemes announced in the
Railway Budget such as opening of Nursing Colleges, Medical and Engineering
Colleges, Polytechnics, Kendriya Vidyalas for the children of Railwaymen,
extension of medical
facilitiesand pass to both dependant father and mother of
Railway employees etc. are yet to be implemented by the Board.
27. As per the decision taken in the DC/JCM
Meeting 5% of the sanctioned strength of the Section Officers in the
pre-revised scale of Rs.6500-10500 was earmarked to Non-qualifying Appendix III
Accounts Assistants. Consequent upon the implementation of VI CPC
recommendations, the same was revised to 1% of the combined strength of SOs
& SO(A)s , reducing the percentage. The demand of increasing the same to 5%
on the combined strength of SOs and SSO(A)s is still pending with the Railway
Board. Also revise the pay scale of Accounts Staff w.e.f 01.01.1996 instead of
19.02.2003 as per judgement of Hon’ble CAT Ernakulam, Hon’ble Kerla High Court,
and Hon’ble Supreme Court(Jose Sebastian & Ors. VS Union of India &
Ors.). Review Petition No.1494 of 2013.
28. Settle the grievances of AC Mechanics and
AC Attendants deputed to work on trains in respect of duty hours,accommodation in trains etc.
29. Even though several times the issue of
absorption of Quasi Administrative staff was discussed, no orders have been
issued so far for absorption of Quasi Administrative staff in the
Railways.
32. Revise the rates of Risk Allowance and grant Patient
Care Allowance to the staff of
Medical Deptt. working in Kitchen, Store, Watching duties etc.
33. Limit duty hours of staff to a maximum of 7
hours a day.
34. Review the recommendation of High Powered
Committee in consultation with AIRF
35. Pay TA, OT, NDA, National Holiday Pay etc.
regularly.
36. Increase the rate of Special Duty Allowance
by 25% with retrospective effect from 01.01.2011.
Source: AIR
