Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) Correspondent
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Railway Board, has written a letter to the Ministry of Finance, on 11th September 2024, highlighting the critical issue of manpower shortages in safety category and the need of additional staff “urgently” to ensure the safe operation of trains. (Letter enclosed)
The Railway unions, both “recognised” and “unrecognised” have long been agitating for filling the 2 lakh vacancies in safety category, including of loco pilots, train managers, station masters, track maintainers, signal and telecom maintainers, pointsmen, etc. and creation of new posts due to increased number of trains.
The shortage of manpower had also been highlighted in the Joint Statement issued by 11 workers organisations, including 4 Central Trade Unions and 7 railway unions representing all the safety category workers, including KEC, after the Kanchenjunga Train Collision of 17th June 2024.
The People’s Commission on Public Sector and Public Services (PCPSPS) had also issued a statement on 22.08.2024 highlighting the same issues.
The All India Forum Against Privatisation (AIFAP) has been regularly reporting and supporting the struggles of rail workers to demand filling of vacancies and creation of additional posts.
A series of major accidents resulting in multiple fatalities across the railway network over the past one year highlighted the high level of stress under which safety category railway employees are working. The real reason for their stress is the overwork due to shortage of workers. The CEO’s letter has to be seen in the backdrop of the wide-spread concern about working conditions of Indian Railway employees.
The Chairman in his letter highlighted the exponential growth in railway infrastructure, particularly the increase in new lines and trains, and emphasised the need for the creation of new posts.
“For effective monitoring and execution of various projects, maintenance of new assets, and the smooth and safe operation of trains, there is an urgent requirement for additional manpower in Indian Railways,” he stated.
He stressed the need for the Ministry of Railways to be granted authority to create non-gazetted posts in essential safety categories, without matching surrender of existing posts.
Currently, new posts (apart from running staff) cannot be created without a matching surrender of equivalent number of posts by the Indian Railways, which is an anti-worker rule being enforced in Indian Railways, resulting in the severe shortage of posts in the safety category.
Upload.Railway post creation