After farmers, railway unions threaten protests from May 1: Here's why

Several unions of railway employees have announced that they might bring a halt to all train services from May 1 if their demand of reinstating the Old Pension Scheme is not met

While the Centre is grappling with the challenges of the ongoing farmers' protest on Delhi borders, a fresh problem seems to have mounted with the railway unions threatening to begin a strike from May 1 over the demand for the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

Several unions of railway employees have announced that they might bring a halt to all train services from May 1 if their demand is not met. The proposed protest is being organised under the ambit of the Joint Forum For Restoration of Old Pension Scheme (JFROPS).

The convenor of JFROPS, Shiv Gopal Mishra, alleged that the government is entirely non-committal to their demand to replace the new pension scheme. "Now, there is no alternative left but to resort to direct action," Mishra said.

Protestors will serve notice to Centre on March 18

The protestors plan to serve a notice about the planned protest to the Ministry of Railways on March 19. The proposed date for the strike is May 1, which marks the 'International Labour Day.'

According to Mishra, several unions of other government employees, who are also part of JFROPS, will also go on strike along with railway workers. The body believes that the new pension scheme does not cater to the welfare of the workers, while the OPS was in their interest.

An official press release shared by the group states, "All the constituent organisations are therefore requested to take appropriate action and to make all sorts of preparations for serving upon the strike notice to their respective administrations in a befitting manner."

The protest, if executed, could cause widespread disruption to railway services and commuters as May is one of the peak months for travelling due to summer vacations.

What is the Old Pension Scheme?

The OPS, which was discontinued in 2004, assured a life-long income to eligible government employees after their retirement. This income was usually equivalent to 50 per cent of their last drawn salary, the cost of which was borne by the government.

In 2004, a new pension scheme was introduced under which the employees can participate and contribute to their pension fund from their salaries while availing a matching pension contribution from the government.