Train drivers stage stir to enforce HC direction at Erode

Members of All India Loco Railway Staff Association (AILRSA) staged a protest stir in front of Erode railway station demanding 46 hours weekly rest for train drivers.

The union Salem division President S Arunkumar and Secretary Sivakumar said: Even after the Retired Railway Board chairman Thirupathi committee, CAT, and Karnataka High Court orders and an assurance given in parliament that the weekly rest should be 46 hours for drivers, the railway administration refuses to give it for the past 20 years. Now, without rest, they were working for many days which could lead to accidents. 

Even after the recommendations of the committee, the management refuses to reduce working hours to ten hours as agreed in Parliament. These issues should be discussed and resolved. Continuous night work should be reduced to two days instead of 4 nights of continuous work . The train drivers who go from home must return home with in two days as per the committee recommendations. The heavy workload led to some errors in the work. But the management removed the staff from service for such errors. So, the union decided to work as per the recommendation of the committee appointed by the Centre itself from this month. For this, the management penalised 52 staff in the division. So, the southern India level, demonstration is held to press the railways to withdraw the penal action and enforce the committee recommendation fully. 

Association Executives James, Biju, M Murugesan, C. Murugesan, Sreejith, Jagadish, S Rajesh attended the stir.