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Highly disappointing Rail Budget – NFIR
National Federation of Indian Railwaymen
3, CHELMSFORD ROAD, NEW DELHI – 110 055
Press Statement
Highly disappointing Rail Budget
The National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) expresses its serious disappointrnent over the Rail Budget (2016-17) presented by Shri Suresh Prabhu, Railway Minister in the Parliament on 25th February 2016. According to the President and General Secretary NFIR Shri Guman Singh and Raghavaiah, the Rail Budget document is “towards journey for privatization of Indian Railways in the name of transformation”. It is sad to note that the Railway Minister has not given due recognition to the dedicated services being rendered by various categories of Railway employees who toil hard day and night.
NFIR leaders said that the Rail Budget is totally uninspiring and on the contrary generating resentment among Railway employees as the aim of the Budget is to “aggressively implement pivatization, outsourcing” of regular Railway activities.
NFIR expressed its unhappiness as the commitrnents given by the previous Railway Ministers thro’ Budget announcements have not been fulfilled notably: Free Medical treatrnent to the dependant parents of Railway employees and construction of New Railway quarters under the corporate welfare plan drawn up years back by the Railway Ministry. The announcement of previous Railway Ministers on the floor of the Parliament that “House for all” has unfortunately been forgotten.It is quite disappointing that although the Bonus Act has been amended w.e.f. 01.10.4.2014 for calculation of Bonus rates to Rs. 7000/- p.m., the Railway Minster did not make any announcement for making payment of PL Bonus to Railway employees at revised rate of Rs. 7000/- p.m. for the year 2014-15.
NFIR said that the condition of Railway colonies and Railway quarters are totally deteriorated. The Rail Budget has not addressed this welfare aspect adequately.
The Federation expresses its anguish over the failure of Railway Ministry in filling up vacancies of 2.5 lakh vacancies in Railways, out of which over 1.5 lakh vacancies belong to safety categories.
The Federation also expresses its unhappiness over the non-allocation of adequate resources for improving the Railway Hdspitals, Health Units and creating Super Specialty facilities atleast in the Zonal Railway Hospitals. The long pending dernand of NFIR for making provision of Road Mobile Medical Vans for ensuring Medical treaftnent to the Railway employees working at remote places, jungle areas, has not been given due priority in the Rail Budget.
NFIR is also of the view that the Rail Budget has not satisfied any section of people.
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(Dr.M.Raghavaiah)
General Secretary
Source: NFIR
Strike by Railway Employees
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 57
ANSWERED ON: 24.02.2016
KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY
Will the Minister of
RAILWAYS be pleased to state:-
(a) whether railway employees association is planning to go on strike in the first week of March demanding 35 per cent hike in their salaries as against 14.29 per cent offered by the 7th Pay Commission and not to accept the recommendation of Debroy Committee report to privatize the Railways, scrapping of new pension scheme, etc;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the measures being taken by the Railways to alleviate the problems of railway employees?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)
(a) & (b): The two recognized Railway staff Federations have not given any notice so far, for going on strike. However they have informed that Strike Notice may be served on 11th March, 2016 for ‘Indefinite Strike’ from 11th April, 2016 in case there is no negotiated settlement on the Charter of Demands by that time. The Charter of Demands, amongst various issues, include the items mentioned in the question.
(c): On the Railways, there is well established system of Permanent Negotiating Machinery (PNM) and Departmental Council under the Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) with the recognized Unions/ Federations. Regular dialogue with the organized labour is maintained through these fora to sort out staff grievances. The Permanent Negotiating Machinery functions at three tiers - Divisional level, Zonal Headquarter level and Apex level at Railway Board. Departmental Council under JCM functions at the Apex level at Railway Board. Further, recognized Unions/Federations are also members of the Group on Participation of Railway Employees in Management (PREM).
