Call by ALL India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA)
CALL OF AILRSA:
BE CLEAR ABOUT OUR DEMANDS
First understand that there is no rule or instruction that the duty hours is limited to 9 hours from 0N to OFF.
HPC recommend the total duty hours for the train crew (from Signing On to Signing Off) at 11 hrs maximum as against present limit of 12 hours. Also, it is proposed to limit running duty to 9 hrs.
The HPC further recommends to fix the duty hrs to 10 hrs from 0N to OFF from 2020.
Our demand still is 8 hours from ON to OFF.
At present, we demand at least implement the HPC recommendation of 10 hours from ON to OFF as an interim measure till our demand of 8 hours is conceded. Added to that the HOER, 2005 stipulated that Long ON (i.e., continuous duty) for continuous category staff shall not be more than 10 hours. With these two provisions we confined our demand to 10 hours. I once again say our ultimate demand is 8 hrs, and have not back tracked from it.
On the issue of weekly rest, I call your attention to the RLC, Bangalore order.
The RLC never said 16 + 30.
RLC only said that the HQ rest and Periodical rest are separate and independent of each other.
Some of us interpreted to mean that it is 16 + 30 hours for 4 times.
At the time of RLC order there were 12 and 22 hours also in the rule for 5 times. The RLC order says if the Running Staff is called for duty before expire of such periodical rest they must be compensated financially.
It means there is no compulsion on the part of management to compulsorily give periodical rest, but given an option to deviate from it by giving financial compensation to Running Staff. This is the exact position of RLC order.
Are we satisfied by the financial compensation in lieu of periodical rest. I say NO. No money will compensate for rest. Rest is Rest; its purpose is to recoup your health and to be with your family at least in a week.
Thereafter came the HPC. After taking evidence from all stakeholders, considered various labour laws and ILO convention etc., HPC recommended that weekly rest should include daily rest + 24 hours (calendar day). All the labour rules also say the same and all the workers, whether they belong to private or government service, enjoy minimum 40 hours rest in a week, which include daily rest of 16 hours and one clear day rest as weekly OFF.
Accordingly, we formulated our demand as 16 hours daily rest + 24 hours = 40 hours.
On the issue of outstation detention, the HPC recommended 48 hours as the maximum.
36 hours is the demand of AIRF, but Railway did not accept it. What Railway said is only take endeavours to bring back crew to HQ within 36 hours. But nothing happened.
We ask to at least implement the HPC recommendation on duty hours at 10 hours from ON and OFF, pending conceding of 8 hours duty, limit OS detention to maximum 48 hours, allow 40 hours PR.
Limit night duty to 2 at a stretch.
All these 4 demands are exclusively based on HPC recommendation.
We also ask our Running Staff to forcefully claim these demands if Railway does not implement these 4 recommendations of HPC.
When we are going for a forceful implementation by our own, there must be enough defence with clear backing of rules and recommendation to protect the workers from onslaught.
The HOER provision on Long ON timing it to 10 hrs.
The RLC recommendation and the HC, Karnataka order upholding the RLC decision, and the recommendation of HPC on periodical rest and the recommendation to limit night duty to two with exception for 3rd night, are our defence.
L. Mony
Central Working President \ AlLRSA