Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent
AISMA Mumbai Division, Central Railway, successfully organised its Annual General Meeting on 15th June at Kalyan, Mumbai. Station Masters from Mumbai division participated with great enthusiasm and formed the new executive of AISMA, Mumbai Division. Shri Alok Kumar Verma was elected as Divisional Secretary and Shri Lal Mohan Singh was elected as Divisional President.
In this meeting AISMA Secretary General Shri D.S. Arora and National Advisor, Shri P.K.Das were the Chief Guests. Dr. A.Mathew, Secretary, Kamgar Ekta Committee(KEC) was invited as a Guest and addressed the meeting .
Shri D.S. Arora in his speech said SMs have many issues such as cadre restructuring which was long overdue, the dismissal from service under D&AR 14/II etc. He reminded the SMs all over India had stopped train movement for 2 minutes on 11th August 1997. Hence this day is annually remembered as Power Day by SMs. He said we are getting the benefits of the struggle of earlier generations now and it is our duty to continue the struggle so that present as well as future generations of SMs benefit.
Shri P.K. Das said that an organisation becomes strong when it looks after all its members. He said the working conditions of station masters are oppressive and exploitative. There has been a large increase in number of trains but there is no corresponding increase in the number of station masters. He called on SMs to unite and raise their voice against these conditions and also called on the SMs of Mumbai Division to contribute financially to help those SMs who have been dismissed under D&AR 14/II all over India.
Dr. A. Mathew, in his speech said AISMA in its 71 years of history has waged many struggles. He reminded the station masters (SMs) that during the 1974 All India Railway Strike, the SMs at V.T. Station, Mumbai and all over India fully participated in the strike. How can any train run if there is no station master to control its movement? This showed the power of the station masters and of united struggle by rail workers.
He reminded them that just recently on May 31st, 2022 AISMA had given a call for a Nation-wide strike. Knowing the power of the SMs, the railway authorities called the leadership and agreed to fill the 30% vacancies existing in the SM Category at that time. Eeven now SMs are having many problems such as providing a calendar day rest for those in intensive duty, Night Duty Allowance for senior SMs, many cases of summary dismissal of SMs under the draconian D&AR 14/II, restoration of OPS, etc. for which a united struggle is required.
He explained about the current ongoing struggles being waged by Loco Pilots (LPs) in Southern Railway led by AILRSA for the right to live and work as human beings and for safe running of trains. The LPs of Southern Railway have been on agitation from June 1st, 2024 to claim their right to periodical rest of 46 hours every week, refusing to work more than 10 hours a day, refusing to work more than two consecutive nights a week, and demanding to be returned to Head Quarters within 48 hours. The Railway Administration is trying to crush the struggles of the LPs by issuing chargesheets and transfers. However, the LPs are carrying on their struggle undaunted. He also lauded the Secretary General, AISMA for his statement in support of Loco Pilots’ agitation.
He said on June 14th 2024, there was a massive meeting of 500 LPs at Chennai which was addressed by leaders of AILRSA, AISMA, DREU, ICF (UWU) and SRES.
The attacks on railway workers will continue irrespective of the party in power. The policy of privatisation was initiated by the Congress Government in 1991 and continued by all Governments since then. The big corporates who finance the political parties want to take over the assets built with public money. They want to take over the goods movement along the Dedicated Freight Corridor. Goods movement is profitable activity and that is why they are interested to take over. They have converted passenger and mail trains to express and superfast trains depriving the masses of cheap and affordable travel and also these trains by pass many small stations greatly inconveniencing crores of poor people. They want to hand over Railway Stations to the corporates and again the masses of poor people of the country will not even be allowed to enter these stations.
He concluded that to oppose these anti-people policies all railway workers need to unite and fight!