Report of Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) Correspondent
” In Gandhidham, Western Railway, 410 Loco Pilots (LP) and Assistant Loco Pilots (ALP), under the leadership of all India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA), had given a signed memorandum. more than a week ago to the Divisional Railway Officials at Gandhidham highlighting their numerous grievances as below:
- LP and ALP were being given innumerable chargesheets for protesting violation of standard rules by higher authorities.
- They are forced to stay away from Head Quarters for 7 to 8 days at a stretch.
- They are forced to work 13 to 15 hours and the officials split this work into spells of 6 hours and 8 hours, etc. to mislead the Railway Board.
- Shunting duty is extended to 11 hours.
- Promotion of Senior ALP’s which should be done every two years is held up for 4 years.
- There are 370 vacant positions of LP and ALP and the burden of this falls on the 600 working LP and ALP.
Seeing no response from the Divisional Railway Authorities of Gandhidham to their signed representation, the LPs and ALPs launched their indefinite hunger fast. This has resulted in stoppage of many trains and hospitalisation of many LPs and ALPs.
