AIRF meeting minutes with Railway Minister & Home Minister on burning issues / demands of the Railwaymen

Brief of the meeting held today, i.e. on 3rd September, 2018, with Hon’ble Minister for Railways and subsequently with Hon’ble Home Minister on burning issues/demands of the Railwaymen.

I met today with Hon’ble Minister for Railways and handed him over a copy of our letter No.AIRF/24(C) dated 1st September, 2018, containing copies of our earlier letters dated 21st September, 2017, 14th October, 2017, 28th December, 2017, 14th March, 2018 and 30th July, 2018, which we written to him on various important demands of the Railwaymen……

No.AIRF/24(C) Dated: September 3, 2018

The General Secretaries,
All Affiliated Unions,

Dear Comrades,

Sub: Brief of the meeting held today, i.e. on 3rd September, 2018, with Hon’ble Minister for Railways and subsequently with Hon’ble Home Minister on burning issues/demands of the Railwaymen

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I met today with Hon’ble Minister for Railways and handed him over a copy of our letter No.AIRF/24(C) dated 1st September, 2018, containing copies of our earlier letters dated 21st September, 2017, 14th October, 2017, 28th December, 2017, 14th March, 2018 and 30th July, 2018, which we written to him on various important demands of the Railwaymen.

The meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere.

Hon’ble Minster for Railways, though, was very sympathetic to some of the demands, but at the same time, he mentioned that, operating ratio of the Indian Railways is decreasing and financial condition of the Railways is also deteriorating day-by-day.

I told him in a very clear way that, Railwaymen are not responsible for the economic problems of the Railways, because they are running trains 24X7 in all weathers and seasons, even by sacrificing their valuable lives, and not fulfilling the demands of the Railwaymen will not be able to satisfy them and prevailing dissatisfaction and discontentment can lead to breach of industrial peace which needs to be avoided.

I also met today with Hon’ble Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh Ji also and reminded him about the major pending demands of the Central Government Employees, particularly restoration of Old Pension Scheme, improvement in Minimum Wage and Fitment Formula.

He said that, he would talk to Hon’ble Finance Minister, and after that, would call a meeting with Hon’ble Finance Minister.

This is for your information.

Yours faithfully

(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
General Secretary

Burning issues of the Railwaymen

No.AIRF/24(C) Dated: September 1, 2018

Shri Piyush Goyal,
Hon’ble Minister for Railways,
Ministry of Railways,
Rail Bhawan,
New Delhi

Respected Sir,

Sub: Burning issues of the Railwaymen

Please refer to our earlier letters of even number dated 21st September, 2017, 14th October, 2017, 28th December, 2017, 14th March, 2018 and 30th July, 2018(copies enclosed for ready reference for your kind perusal).

AIRF has been in continuous communication and dialogue with your goodself on the long pending genuine demands/issues of the Railwaymen, but the same are lingering in the Rail Bhawan and not moving towards finalization.

Recently, the issues raised by the undersigned, particularly reg. revision in the rates of Running Allowances and other allowances related to Running Staff, implementation of structure of the ratio of 10:20:20:50 for upgradation of Trackmen/Track Maintainers, LARSGESS, absorption of those Course Completed Act Apprentices, in the Railways, who completed their course before issuance of Railway Board’s letter dated 21.06.2016(RBE No.71/2016), giving them one time exemption, restructuring of the IT Cadre, exemption of the Railwaymen from the purview of National Pension System(NPS), improvement in Minimum Wage and Fitment Formula, improvement in the condition of Railway quarters, improvement in medical facilities, deployment of wards of the Railwaymen as “Gate Mitras”, stoppage of indiscriminate outsourcing/privatization in the Railways, upgradation of apex level Group `C’ staff as Group `B’ Gazetted,stepping-up of Loco Inspectors inducted in the Railways prior to 01.01.2006, benchmark(existing prior to 7th CPC) for financial upgradation under MACPS and regular promotions, absorption of the quasi-administrative offices staff in erstwhile Group `D’ posts in the Railways, sanction of Risk and Hazard Allowance to the staff of Signalling, TRD, Operating, Mechanical and Electrical Departments. There can be a few other issues also, but these are the important issues raised by the undersigned from time to time, as has been mentioned in our letters referred to above.

Railwaymen, give their sweat and blood, while running Indian Railways to the best satisfaction of the customers in spite of huge vacancies of more than two lakh. Railwaymen always hoped that their long pending demands/issues will be resolved in a time-bound manner.

We sincerely hope that, you will kindly issue necessary instructions to all concerned to resolve the long pending issues/demands of the Railwaymen, hanging fire in Rail Bhawan, early.

We also hope that, you will kindly arrange for a meeting with Hon’ble Finance Minister or at any appropriate level to get resolve long pending issues of National Pension System(NPS) and Minimum Wage and Fitment Formula.

With Kind Regards,

Yours faithfully

(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
General Secretary

Source : AIRF