While the general elections by a secret ballot with the help of electronic voting machines (EVMs) are underway across the nation, the All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) has demanded the Ministry of Railways and the Railway Board (RB) to conduct the secret ballot election for recognition of trade unions and federations for the Indian Railways.
The secret ballot elections for recognition of the unions and federations in the Railways have become due after April 2019 with the completion of the six-year term. Although electoral rolls were published with the amendments thrice and draft modalities for conducting elections were also uploaded on the Railway Board’s site, no election has been conducted till date, said AIRF treasurer and SCR Mazdoor Union (SCRMU) Ch. Sankara Rao on May Day.
The AIRF’s centenary convention, which was held in New Delhi (April 23-25), had expressed its dismay at the “dillydallying” practice of the Railway Board on the issue and strongly demanded that elections be held for recognition of the unions and federations on the basis of the already circulated modalities to remove the “sense of uncertainty” among railwaymen, he said.
Mr. Rao, who has been re-elected as the treasurer along with K. Srinivas as the vice-president, K. Kanniah as president and Shiva Gopal Misra as general secretary for a three-year term during the meet, said that the AIRF was earlier led by luminaries like former president V. V. Giri, former Union Minister George Fernandes and Gandhian Socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan.
Tracing the history of the workers union, he charged that the Central government and the Ministry of Railways had earlier issued arbitrary orders to recognize an “unrecognized” union — Bhartiya Railway Mazdoor Sangh — without following due procedure. This was challenged in the courts and after a prolonged legal battle, the Madras High Court had directed RB to conduct secret ballot polls.
This verdict was also upheld by the Apex Court in 2007 and based on the elections and subsequent results, recognition was granted to AIRF and NFIR (National Federation of Indian Railwaymen) affiliated unions and federations. The secret ballot elections were last held on April 2013, explained Mr. Rao.
Other resolutions passed during the three-day meet include the demand to stop outsourcing railway production units considering that Vande Bharat trains, Amrit Bharat Coaches and high-powered electric locomotives are being made in-house. Railway production units can make any kind of rolling stock and can be run round-the-clock with three 8-hour shifts and requisite manpower, he said.
Other demands include restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) where staff get 50% of their last pay drawn and Dearness Relief (DA) over and above 50% value of the last pay drawn is assured in place of NPS delivering ‘paltry’ pay, revision of minimum monthly pay from ₹7,000 to ₹18,000 for enhanced bonus payment, restoration of two-year child care pay, setting up of the eighth pay commission, upgradation of the pay structure for supervisory staff and stop surrendering vacant posts and instead introduce new posts for handling new technologies.
