New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) The loco pilots union has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to refer their dispute with the rail administration over rest hours to the lower house’s Petition Committee, and warned of a nationwide strike if the issue is not resolved.

The All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) and the rail administration have locked horns over clubbing weekly rest hours with daily rest hours.

However, the Railway Ministry said that, of late, it has created several amenities for loco pilots, such as urinal facilities in over 900 locos, an air-conditioning system in over 7,000 locos, and all 558 running rooms across the rail network.

“These numbers were zero in 2013-14. Separate rooms or cubicles with washroom facilities are being provided to female loco running staff, in running rooms, as per requirement,” the railway officials said.

The loco union has maintained that after two or three days of outstation trip, they get 16 hours of rest (also known as headquarter rest). Besides, they are entitled to get 30 hours of periodic rest (weekly rest) four times a month.

The union said that, as per the existing legal provision, these two categories of rest can be clubbed together to make 46 hours of total rest four times in a week.

On the other hand, the Railway Ministry has subsumed 16 hours of daily rest within the 30 hours of weekly rest.

“Head Quarter rest of 16 hours is given after a running staff member reaches their HQ, and periodic rest of 30 hours or 22 hours (as and when due) is provided. Since periodic rest is also an HQ rest, the requirement for 16 hrs HQ rest is fulfilled during periodic rest,” Dilip Kumar, Executive Director, Information and Publicity, Railway Board, has recently said while talking about the facilities the Ministry has provided to the running staff.

The loco union said that the duty hours and rest period of the loco running staff are governed by the Indian Railway Servants (Hours of Work and Rest Period) Rules, 2005, and the Indian Railway Act, 1989.

They said that the dispute between the workers and the management first arose in 2000, but it was finally settled by the Karnataka High Court in 2012 in favour of the loco pilots. However, the Ministry never followed it, they claimed.

Before the High Court, the Regional Labour Commissioner, Bangalore, in 2001 and the Central Administrative Tribunal, Bangalore, in 2010 favoured the loco pilots’ stand.

“Now since work pressure has gone up several times due to vacancies and introduction of new trains, the rest issue is very crucial for the operational safety. Hence it is important to address it now,” loco pilots said.

The Union office bearers said that in another order, the Central Administrative Tribunal, Bangalore, rejected the prayer of the Railway Ministry on August 1, 2018, and directed to pay compensation when headquarters rest overlapped, as ordered by the Regional Labour Commissioner, Bangalore.

“Even after a lapse of 23 years of the Order of the Regional Labour Commissioner, Bangalore, and 12 years after the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka Order, till date these orders have not been abided by the Ministry of Railway and when periodical rest of 30 hours is given, the 16 hours headquarters rest has been excluded,” the Union said in its letter addressed to Birla.

“The nature of duties is highly onerous, hazardous, risky and involves the safety of not only the travelling public but also the rolling stock and other freight traffic,” the letter, signed by KC James, Secretary General, AILRSA, added.

According to them, since 16 hours of HQ rest and 30 hours of weekly rest run concurrently, they practically get only 14 hours of weekly rest.

The Union has also drawn a comparison between the working hours of loco pilots and other railway employees and said, “When all the Railway employees are allowed with a weekly/periodical rest ranging from 40 hours to 64 hours, the Loco Running Staff are being denied it.” “On behalf of the Loco Running Staff of Indian Railways, this Association pleads before the esteemed Petition Committee to intervene in this matter,” the letter said. According to James, besides writing it to Birla, the Union has separately sent it to each member of the Lok Sabha Petition Committee as well.

They said that they would have no choice but to go on a nationwide strike if the issue is not resolved. PTI

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