 "Railway unions plan secret ballot over strike")
The deadline given by the Railway unions to the Ministry of Finance to take action over their demands has ended in September. The leading parties have given an ultimatum to the government and are planning to hold a secret ballot with the Railway employees to decide whether to go for a strike or not.
The two leading unions of Indian Railways, All India Railway Federation (AIRF) and National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR), are now getting ready to conduct a secret ballot over the charter of demands that the unions had presented to the government. Indian Railways currently employs 1.4 million people. Most employees are affiliated to either of the two leading unions.
The secret ballot would be held across 17 zones of the Indian Railways, between November 28 and 30 for NFIR and on December 20 and 21 for AIRF.
Leaders of the unions have indicated that the strike could be a reality in February 2014. The two hold majority of the zonal railways seats.
“The government needs to realise that the strike of Indian Railways is not a joke and we are serious on our demands and not merely threatening,” said a senior leader from one of the unions. Earlier in July, the Railway unions had presented a charter of demands to the finance ministry and had put a three month deadline that ended in September.
Senior leaders from the leading Railway unions expressed frustration over the lack of response from the finance ministry.
The main demand of the unions is to set up a committee for the Seventh Pay Commission. Others include changing the ‘anomalies’ arising out of the Sixth Pay Commission report, which requires revision of the pay scale for various categories. Also, entitlement to pension and other benefits for casual workers, working continuously for 20-25 years, considering this service as a qualifying service, further the Union has asked for abolition of New Pension Scheme, statutory guarantee for new pension subscribers.
As Business Standard had reported earlier, a day’s strike could cause Indian Railways a loss of Rs 341.96 crore along with upsetting the movement of goods and larger public inconvenience.
However, the already cash crunched Indian Railways would have a tough time managing its finances if wages are increased again. According to the latest Comptroller and Auditor General report, staff cost including pension outgo constitutes about 62 per cent of Indian Railways’ ordinary working expenses. The ordinary working expenses stood at Rs 84,400 crore for 2012-2013. The appropriation to pension fund was further increased by Rs 1,500 crore in the budget of 2013-2014.
The last salary hike for Railway employees, under the Sixth Pay Commission in 2008, which hiked the pension and wages, has put an additional burden of Rs 73,000 crore on Indian Railways over the period of five years.
The two leading unions of Indian Railways, All India Railway Federation (AIRF) and National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR), are now getting ready to conduct a secret ballot over the charter of demands that the unions had presented to the government. Indian Railways currently employs 1.4 million people. Most employees are affiliated to either of the two leading unions.
The secret ballot would be held across 17 zones of the Indian Railways, between November 28 and 30 for NFIR and on December 20 and 21 for AIRF.
Leaders of the unions have indicated that the strike could be a reality in February 2014. The two hold majority of the zonal railways seats.
“The government needs to realise that the strike of Indian Railways is not a joke and we are serious on our demands and not merely threatening,” said a senior leader from one of the unions. Earlier in July, the Railway unions had presented a charter of demands to the finance ministry and had put a three month deadline that ended in September.
Senior leaders from the leading Railway unions expressed frustration over the lack of response from the finance ministry.
The main demand of the unions is to set up a committee for the Seventh Pay Commission. Others include changing the ‘anomalies’ arising out of the Sixth Pay Commission report, which requires revision of the pay scale for various categories. Also, entitlement to pension and other benefits for casual workers, working continuously for 20-25 years, considering this service as a qualifying service, further the Union has asked for abolition of New Pension Scheme, statutory guarantee for new pension subscribers.
As Business Standard had reported earlier, a day’s strike could cause Indian Railways a loss of Rs 341.96 crore along with upsetting the movement of goods and larger public inconvenience.
However, the already cash crunched Indian Railways would have a tough time managing its finances if wages are increased again. According to the latest Comptroller and Auditor General report, staff cost including pension outgo constitutes about 62 per cent of Indian Railways’ ordinary working expenses. The ordinary working expenses stood at Rs 84,400 crore for 2012-2013. The appropriation to pension fund was further increased by Rs 1,500 crore in the budget of 2013-2014.
The last salary hike for Railway employees, under the Sixth Pay Commission in 2008, which hiked the pension and wages, has put an additional burden of Rs 73,000 crore on Indian Railways over the period of five years.