AIRF writes to Hon’ble Prime Minister about settlement of Long Pending 36 Point Charter of Demands of Railwaymen

AIRF writes to Hon’ble Prime Minister about settlement of Long Pending 36 Point Charter of Demands of Railwaymen…

Com Shiva Gopal Mishra writes to Hon’ble Prime Minister about settlement of Long Pending 36 Point Charter of Demands of Railwaymen.

A.I.R.F.
All India Railwaymen’s Federation

4, State Entry Road,
New Delhi – 110055
INDIA

No.AIRF/24(C)

Dated: January 25, 2014

Shri Manmohan Singh Ji,
Hon’ble Prime Minister,
(Government of India),
New Delhi

Respected Sir,

Sub: Settlement of long pending genuine demands of the Railwaymen and Central Government employees

All India Railwaymen’s Federation, which was established in the year 1924, prior to independence, has served not only the Railwaymen and the rail users but also brought laurels to the Government with its dedicated service.

While thanking you for approving constitution of VII CPC, we request your good-self to order for merger of full DA with Basic Pay for all purposes as an immediate measure. We also request you to implement recommendations of VII CPC w.e.f. 01.01.2014 as the Dearness Allowance will cross 100% w.e.f. 01.01.2014.

On implementation of VI CPC, large-scale anomalies have occurred while deciding wages for large number of employees working in various categories. To remove the anomalies, Government of India has appointed National Anomalies Committee and Departmental Anomalies Committee in all the Central Government departments.

However, in spite of several rounds of discussions in the National Anomalies Committee meetings, led by the Secretary DoP&T and the team of the Secretaries of various departments, including Railways, no headway could be achieved in removing the anomalies except in case of one or two items.

Anomalies that have arisen out of implementation of Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme also not addressed by the Government of India till date.

Ministry of Railways and Recognized Federations discussed the anomalies in the Departmental Anomalies Committee and submitted unanimous recommendations to DoP&T and Ministry of Finance to settle Departmental Anomalies as per their suggestions, but the DoP&T and the Ministry of Finance have paid deaf ear and all the anomalies of the Railway employees still remain unresolved.

All India Railwaymen’s Federation in its 88thAnnual Conference, held at Visakhapatnam from 18th to 20th December, 2012, passed 38-Point Charter of Demands and submitted the same to Ministry of Railways for immediate discussion and settlement of the same. Though several rounds of discussions with the Railway Board took place, but unfortunately no agreement on these demands could be reached.

2. A Special General Council Meeting was held at New Delhi on 13.09.2013, which discussed the demands threadbare and directed the General Secretary of AIRF to conduct various protest meetings and also to prepare the Railwaymen for Strike Ballot. In spite of several protest meetings, demonstrations and Memoranda to Railway Board, Railway Board did not bother to settle these charter of Demands. Finally, All India Railwaymen’s Federation in its 89th Annual Convention, held at Patna from 22nd to 24th November, 2013 with heavy heart decided to conduct Strike Ballot on 20th and 21st December, 2013 on all the Zonal Railways. Nearly 96.73% members voted in favour of strike on 36-Charter of demands of the AIRF.

We reiterate that the All India Railwaymen’s Federation has a long history of resolving the demands through peaceful negotiations through PNM Fora and JCM at Departmental and National levels. Peaceful industrial relations on Indian Railways during the last four decades is an indicator to AIRF’s commitment to negotiated settlement.

It is unfortunate that, the negotiations failed at all the levels and the Federation(AIRF) has been compelled to take a strike decision, as Ministry of Railways could not settle the demands due to non-cooperation of Ministry of Finance.

As a last resort, we request your intervention to avoid indefinite strike and to maintain peaceful industrial relations on the Railways.

You are also requested to direct Hon’ble Minister of Finance and Hon’ble Minister of Railways to call for negotiations to settle the just and legitimate demands of the Railwaymen and other Central Government employees.

We do hope, your kind intervention shall help in settling of long pending genuine demands of the Railwaymen in particular and the Central Government employees in general as also to avoid indefinite strike.

Our 36-Point Charter of Demands is given below for your kind perusal:-

1. Filling up all vacant posts.

2. Sanction additional posts 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 the 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 Career Progression and Package for Trackmen, has been diluted arbitrarily. Recommendation of the said committee should be implemented in to to.

6. Remove 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 purview of Income Tax deduction and also raise Income Tax deduction ceiling on Running Allowance.

9. Remove all the anomalies of 6th CPC, as agreed upon in the meeting of Departmental Anomaly Committee and resolve all the anomalies pending before the 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 long pending grievances of the Running Staff, such as granting of Running Allowance w.e.f. 01.1.2006, duly improving 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 and withdraw penalty of “Removal from Service” in SPAD cases etc.

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 the 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 judgment.

21. Issue order for stepping up of pay of seniors who are drawing less pay than the juniors consequent upon 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 upon modification of ACP Scheme as MACP and grant three financial upgradations on promotional hierarchy.

23. 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 quarters 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. Moreover, there should be fixed quota for the wards of the Railwaymen in all recruitments through RRBs and RRCs.

26. 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 facilities and pass to both dependant father and mother of Railway employees etc. are yet to be implemented by the Board. AIRF also demands reimbursement of full educational expenses up to Post Graduate level in case of wards of Railway employees.

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 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 the 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 offices staff was discussed, but unfortunately, no orders have been issued so far for absorption of quasi-administrative staff in the Railways.

30. Increase the amount of Fixed Medical Allowance and issue Smart Card to all RELHS beneficiaries.

31. Grant parity in pension and family pension to the staff/family retired prior to 01.01.2006.

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 the staff to a maximum of 7 hours a day and implement flexi timings for all female and Ministerial staff and exempt women Railway employees from Night Shifts in open line.

34. Review the recommendation of the High Powered Committee, constituted to review duty hours of Running and other Safety Categories Staff, in consultation with the 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.

With kind regards!

Yours Sincerely,
sd/-
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
General Secretary

Source: AIRF