Statement by All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA), Salem Division
In a democratic country, even those who have been sentenced to the death penalty by the courts still have human rights. Even after being sentenced to death for committing unlawful acts, there are government systems, legal frameworks, and human rights movements that advocate on their behalf. However, when it comes to the lives of loco pilots who have been subjected to slave-like conditions in the Indian Railways system, no such system intervenes effectively.
Government policies that adhere to neoliberal economic strategies and the corporatization of public sector institutions have led to the questioning of the humanity of Indian Railway workers more than ever before. The term “safety,” which the railways often tout as a primary concern, is nothing but a beautiful phrase for the public. When it comes to the higher authorities, the sole concern is profit, and safety is often ignored. The treatment of loco pilots in the safety sector is clear evidence of this.
There has never been a report written with any compassion for us, either before or after the HLSRC & HPC. Despite years of asking for basic rights and better working conditions, we have seen only a fraction of that consideration reflected in the reports. The double standards in the execution of such reports are apparent to us.
When pay commissions determine the basic salary and other benefits, the immoral discrimination shown to a loco pilot by the railway system is glaring. The sole goal of these commissions in preparing salary revision formulas seems to be to prevent wage increases. The previous Pay Commission held back the running allowance by about 30 percent. On 50% increase in Dearness Allowance, 25% increase in Traveling Allowance (TA) is eligible. According to this TA hike, the 25% increase that loco pilots were morally and scientifically entitled to in their running allowances was disregarded by the railway authorities. These are few examples of unpardonable discriminations towards Loco Running Staff.
The 8-hour workday remains a distant dream for Indian Railway loco pilots. It is the result of continuous struggles by the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) that today, it has been limited to a 9+2+1 hour work schedule. Still, the demand for an 8-hour workday continues.
As a part of securing eligible periodical rest, AILRSA’s South Zone led a significant movement to ensure the workers’ rights, making the authorities rethink their approach. This powerful movement also brought the issues of loco pilots to the public eye, including in the Parliament and the Rajya Sabha.
Two committees have been formed, and about 6,000 vacancies were misrepresented in an ALP recruitment notification, which later had to be corrected, with the number rising to over 18,000.
The authorities continue to disrupt rest periods, even though it is legally mandated that a complete rest period from 10 PM to 6 AM is part of the weekly off. Workers who protest this are met with harsh punishment. Poor planning in freight operations and irrational interventions in crew deployment have resulted in issuing extension memos, which force the worker to work under intense physical and mental pressure.
The new generation trains running is increasing , tracks and signals have been upgraded, and train speeds are being increased from 110 km/h to 130 km/h. Due to the reduced travel time, railway authorities are revising crew link roster However, these changes come at the cost of loco pilots’ safety and physical well-being, as well as the strain it places on their family life. In light of this, AILRSA has planned a series of struggles demanding that train working should be limited to 6 hours for passenger trains and 8 hours for freight trains. The railway authorities’ decisions to reduce no of loco pilots to maximize profit lack humanity and must be resisted.
The issue of female loco pilots has been reduced to a token gesture for Women’s Day, with no actual improvements in their working conditions or special considerations such as CCL (Child Care Leave). As a result, female loco pilots have become a frustrated and neglected group in the workforce.
Working close to home and with one’s family is a dream for any individual. However, due to the railway’s flawed planning and haphazard postings, many workers end up losing out on the opportunity to be posted near their homes. Many running staff are also victims of blatant neglect. The railway’s inaction on IDT/IRT issues is unacceptable. Even after AILRSA’s struggle reduced the waiting period for transfer registration from 5 years to 3 years, the authorities still refuse to forward transfer requests, leading to delayed transfers and loss of seniority for many.
Faced with such discriminatory and regressive policies, the younger generation of railway workers is burdened with a sense of injustice. Requests for leave, medical leave, and weekly offs are often denied, and loco pilots continue to work under extreme mental stress in extension memo duties and continuous night shifts. In such a situation, what safety is the railway expecting from its loco pilots?
It is in such an environment of turmoil that AILRSA’s Salem Division’s biennial public meeting will take place on March 18th and 19th, 2025. This is an opportunity to issue a warning to the authorities, showing that the running staff community is ready for any form of public struggle in response to their oppressive approach.
Therefore, it is the prime duty of each comrade to ensure their presence at this meeting and encourage their friends to join as well, making both the general and delegate sessions a massive success.
AILRSA/SALEM