ISSUES RAISED BY THE GS/AIRF IN THE DC/JCM MEETING HELD ON 22.06.2021

COVID-19 RELATED ISSUES

  • Payment of ex-gratia amounting to Rs.50 lakh.
  • Inclusion of the Railwaymen in the category of “Frontline Workers” andpriority to vaccinate   the Railwaymen.
  • Removal of ceiling of maximum 30 days Special Casual Leave and restoration of Quarantine Leave for Railway Staff. DoP&T’s letter in this regard needs to be notified by the Railway Board.
  • Provision of Special Casual Leave to COVID-19 infected Railway Employees.
  • Financial Assistance, amounting to Rs.10 lakh, from Railway Minister’s Relief Fund to those unfortunate families of Railwaymen who lost their breadwinners due to COVID-19 infection.
  • Provision of Isolation Ward in Railway Health Units.
  • Shortage of Injections to control Black Fungus – Example S.C. Railway.
  • Provision of Oxygen Concentrators(minimum 5-10) in every Health Unit for serious patients.
  • Provision of vaccination to Railway Employees and their Family Members at the Wayside Stations, Divisional Headquarters and Zonal Headquarters.
  • Special Drive for C.G. Appointments and Payment of Settlement Dues – There are large numbers of cases in which Railway Employees infected due to COVID1-19 but their tests could not be done and they died during second wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic due to several reasons, including non-availability of hospitalization facilities or beds. 
  • Stoppage on proposed operation of trains by Private Operators – Proposal for running Private Trains in Southern Railway.
  • Corporatization of the Railway Production Units.
  • Privatization of CONCOR.
  • Handing over of Railway Sports Grounds/Complex and Stadiums to RLDA for commercial development.
  • Extension of retention period of Railway Accommodation.
  • Extension of period of Periodical Transfers.
  • Regularization of Course Completed Act Apprentices in Railways.
  • Career Progression of the staff working in GP Rs.1800 and GP Rs.4600.
  • Implementation of accepted recommendations of the 7th CPC in case of SSO(A/Cs)(GP Rs.5400), CMT Cadre under Mech. Deptt., O.T. Asstt. and Lab. Supdt. of Medical Deptt.
  • Curtailing 10% posts from D.R. Quota – LDCE “Open to All”.
  • Career Progression of Pointsman (four-grade structure) like Track Maintainers.
  • Upgradation of posts of S&T Cadre.
  • Payment of Night Duty Allowance, without any pay ceiling, to all the Railwaymen performing Night Duty.
  • Payment of ALK(HQ) to Running Staff during lockdown period.
  • Implementation of SALUTE with the Organized Labour.
  • Stoppage on indiscriminate surrender of posts, including 50% Non-Safety Posts.
  • Withdrawal of closure decision of five Railway Printing Presses.
  • Absorption of Quasi-Administrative Staff in Railways.
  • Existing Medical Cards, in possession of Railway Employees, should continue to be treated as valid for availing medical care until UMID Cards are made available to them. 
  • Issue of `UMID’ Cards in favour of the staff engaged in Quasi-Administrative Offices. 3 AC Pass to Federations Staff.
  • Extension of validityof year-ending Privilege/Complimentary Passes and PTOs.
  • Validation of Privilege/Post Retirement Complimentary Passes/PTOs in Festival/Special Trains. 
  • Fast-tracking of C.G. Appointments by eliminating calling of reports, Written Tests etc.
  • Problems faced by AC Staff engaged in train services due to lack of resting facilities and catering services at the destination stations.
  • Career Progression of IT Cadre in Indian Railways.
  • Continuance of Manual Passes/PTOs(besides online) to Railway Employees, beyond 30.06.2021, so that, Railway Employees(both Serving and Retired) are not subjected to undue hardship on this account.
  • MD/CRIS should be advised for making suitable amendment in their programming for ensuring hassle-free payment of Additional Allowance plus D.A. thereon to Passenger Guard of N.E. Railway, w.e.f. 01.07.2017, in terms of Railway Board’s RBE No.85/2017dated 10.08.2017, with payment of consequential arrears.
  • Modifications/Amendments in the IPAS for making hassle-free payment of House Rent Allowance to Railway Staff posted at Mathura Cantt. Station of N.E. Railway at the rates applicable to “Y” Class City/Town, with effect from the date it was made applicable for Railway Staff posted at Mathura Jn. of North Central Railway, with payment of consequential arrears. Upgradation in classification of “Bhatinda” and “Patiala Cities” for the purpose of enhancement of House Rent Allowance.
  • Relaxation of Minimum Residency Period(from 3 to 2 years) for promoting JAAs to AAs – South Western Railway.
  • Discontinuance of Direct Recruitment to the post of SSEs and transfer of  20% Direct Recruitment Quota to the cadre of JEs (Ref.: Railway Board’s letter No.E(NG)I/2020/PM1/2 dated 26.02.2020(RBE No.27/2020) – These orders of Railway Board should immediately be withdrawn and Compassionate Ground Appointment in GP Rs.4600 should be continued in favour of the candidates fulfilling required eligibility criteria. Moreover, candidates possessing B. Tech. and M. Tech. qualifications, when apply for Compassionate Ground Appointment, are put to harassment by forcing them to join against the post of JEs in GP Rs.4200. Railway Board should also advise the Zonal Railways and Production Units to restore 20% Direct Recruitment Quota of SSEs, transferred to Promotional Quota. 
  • Old Pension Scheme to Railway Employees selected through RRBs against Notifications for Recruitment issued prior to 22nd December, 2003, the date on which New Contributory Pension Scheme(NPS) was introduced.
  • Withdrawal of Monthly Concession Ticket Order and advice to the staff of Howrah Division for purchasing Monthly Ticket without MCTO.
  • PREM Facility, viz. (i) payment of Honorarium to the Stenographer engaged in PREM Office, to Recognized Union, (ii) Provision of Smart Card Facility to union officials – Metro Rail Kolkata.
  • Secretarial Assistance to the PREM – Enhancement of Honorarium(lastly revised videRailway Board’s letter  No.E(LR)2009/PREM/3 dated 22.10.2010) – AIRF’s letters No.AIRF/PREM(Policy) (162) dated 12.06.2018 and AIRF/PREM(Policy)(457) dated 19.10.2019.
  • Guidelines to RWF/YNK reg. extension of term of the Staff Council/holding of elections.
  • Grant of Temporary Status to RCF/KXH Casual Labours engaged during project period in RCF/KXH and those engaged after the date of commencement of production in terms of Railway Board’s letter No.E(NG)I-86 PM1-G dated 26.08.1986addressed to the CAO/DCW/PTA.
  • Grant of PCO Allowance/Incentive Bonus to Tech. Staff supporting Shops/Sections in Railway Workshops and PUs. It was agreed that, a study in connection with Incentive and PCO Allowance to various categories, as demanded in AIRF’s PNM Item No.12/2009, would be conducted in Tirupati Workshop expeditiously. 
  • Acceptance of Diploma Certificate issued by Institution of Civil Engineers(India), Ludhiana  – Ref.: Dy. CPO/MCF/RBL’s letter No.MCF-RBL0PERS(NG-3)/9/2020-O/o Dy. CPO/MCF dated 28.01.2021.
  • Change the nomenclature of Sr. Translator and Jr. Translator working in Official Language (Rajbhasha) Department of Indian Railways as “Sr. Translation Officer(STO) and Jr. Translation Officer(JTO)” as has been done in the case of their counterparts working in Railway Board (Ministry of Railways).    
  • Counting of Training Period after appointment(Induction Training) for the purpose of ACP and MACP benefits –
  • CAT/Cuttak Bench orders dated 14.11.2017 in O.A. No.260/00763/2014.
  • Hon’ble High Court Allahabad in W.A. No.3080/2018.
  • Hon’ble Supreme Court of India SLP(Civil) Diary No.28896/2019 dated 22.10.2019.
  • Extension of facilities to the employees of IRWO as admissible to the employees of Quasi-Railway Organizations.
  • Grievances of the Running Staff
  • In the Running Rooms; provision of only twin-bedded room should be made, so that, Running Staff can take proper rest without any disturbance.                       
  • For payment of O.T. Allowance to Running Staff, necessary provision should be made in the IPAS, so that, they can get payment in a hassle-free manner.
  • Already pending issue of exemption of KMA from I.T. deduction should also be settled without further delay.
  • Withdrawal of Line Boxes of Running Staff – On many of the Zonal Railways Running Staff are agitating against withdrawal of their Line Boxes, and it is being reported by the local units that, there is pressure from the Railway Board in this regard. Withdrawal of the Line Boxes of Running Staff, without consulting Divisional/Zonal Units, is not fair because this is an issue to which Running Staff is quite sensitive.
  • Coverage of the incumbents under Railway Service(Pension) Rules, 1993 in place of National Pension System, appointment of whom was finalized after screening in 2001 but joined Railway Services after 01.01.2004.

Eastern Railway Cases

  • Shri Sumanta Sen, Date of Screening – 19.07.2001, Date of Joining – 28.02.2002 (Covered under OPS).
  • Shri Sukanta Debnath, Date of Screening – 19.07.2001, Date of Joining – 28.02.2002 (Covered under OPS).
  • Shri Subhankar Ghosh, Date of Screening – 19.07.2001, Date of Joining – 03.11.2004 (Covered under NPS).
  • Shri Amit Neogi, Date of Screening – 20.07.2001, Date of Joining – 23.11.2004(Covered under NPS).
  • Shri Soumen Gangopadhyay, Date of Screening – 06.09.2001, Date of Joining – 23.11.2004 (Covered under NPS).
  • Shri Sukanta Biswas, Date of Screening – 06.09.2001, Date of Joining – 17.11.2004 (Covered under NPS).
  • Discrepancies in HRMS.
  • Designations of Chief Stn. Manager and Stn. Manager is being shown as Stn. Supdt.  in SECR.
  • Multitasking Staff is being shown as General Assistant/Peon – SECR.
  • Refund of the payment(Rs.30,000 with interest) made for Cashless Treatment in Emergency (CTSE) by the Pensioners.
  • Running Allowance to those Running Staff kept on Spare.  
  • Quarantine Leave on N.E. Railway.
  • Cleaning by Hydraulic Machines before working on tracks by Track Maintainers in Urban Area – NCR. 
  • Change in the Nomenclature of Trains Guard as “Trains Manager” and improvement in their pay structure – GP Rs.1900, 2400, 2800 and 4200.
  • Add 30% Pay Element in the case of Retired Running Staff. Since 2004 this has not been done.
  • Load has been transferred from Kharagpur Workshop (SER) to N.F. Railway – Reduction in the staff strength – 50% utilization of the staff in Openline.
  • No Specialist in Divisional Hospital – SER – Equal distribution of the existing doctors.
  • Timely payment of the Allowances – SER.
  • 97% routes electrification has been done in ECR, but TRD Staff have not been sanctioned.  
  • Only two grades of the Trains Guard, i.e. GP Rs.2800 and 4200.
  • Conversion of Diesel Loco Shed into Electric Loco Shed – ECR.
  • OT/TA and NDA to Maintenance Staff have been stopped.
  • Allocation of funds for maintenance of Railway Colonies – NFR.
  • NPS to OPS – Inordinate delay in implementing recommendation of the Screening Committee w.e.f. 01.01.2004 – NWR.
  • Stoppage on recovery of Risk Allowance.  
  • Benefit of MACPS to Running Staff – GP Rs.4200, 4600 and 4800 as 1st, 2nd and 3rd financial upgradation under MACPS.
  • Incentive is not being paid to the staff of Diesel Workshop Ajmer(NWR).
  • Short of the CMP Doctors on ECoR – Posting of Regular Doctors.
  • NPS to OPS – In WCR panel was formed before 01.01.2004, but the candidates failed in the medical are not being given benefit of OPS. 
  • Three hour Lunch Period of Track Maintainer in WCR and they are not allowed to leave the side despite 50 degree temperature. 
  • RRB S&T Panel one year
  • Byculla(CR) – Online Training.
  • Leakage of GDCE Paper – Internal Exam.
  • Amendment in Indian Railways Act.
  • Recovery of CCL.
  • Track Maintainer

Staff quarters in dilapidated condition. No maintenance-No deduction of HRA from the Employees.