Dated:- March 14, 2024

No.AIRF/7(Policy)
The Chairman & CEO,
Railway Board,
New Delhi
Madam,

Sub: Deteriorating Industrial Relation with the Railway administration due to extraordinary delay incurred in finalization of the PNM and DC/JCM Items as also PREM etc. listed in the agenda

The following issues were raised by the undersigned in the Opening Speech during DC/JCM Meeting held on 15-16 February, 2024:-
Meetings of the PNM, DC/JCM and PREM Negotiating Fora should be conducted regularly by the Railway Board. But an extraordinary delay is being noticed in finalization of the items raised by AIRF. Some of the items are pending for quite long time and amongst them few are brought to your kind notice for expediting the matter so as to finalize these items at the earliest.
On the other hand, complaints are being received that, on the Zonal Railways/Divisions, meetings of the PNM and PREM etc. are not being held since 2-3 years with the Staff Side. As per practice in vogue, earlier a calendar for holding various such meetings was prepared by the Official Side and arranged accordingly.
Now, Railways have discontinued this practice and meetings are not being held regularly. All the GMs/DRMs are requested to be advised to hold meetings of the PNM and PREM etc. regularly by preparing a calendar in consultation with the affiliated unions.
Hon’ble M.R. has given assurance in the DC/JCM Meeting, held on 15-16 February, 2024 that, manufacturing of Vande Bharat Express Train in ICF/Chennai would be done by the Railway Staff only as Railways have skilled manpower as well as machines. Therefore, manufacturing of Trainsets should not go for outsourcing and bring outsiders in ICF/Chennai. If such practice is continued, AIRF would not allow the same as it is against the working interest of the Railway Staff as well as Railway administrations will face heavy financial expenditure for such work from outsourcing.
Upgradation of the staff working in GP Rs.1800 to GP Rs.1900 to the extent of 30% by the Railway Board is yet to be decided. A decision in this regard should be taken at the earliest.
Inordinate delay in granting financial upgradation to leftover Supervisory Staff(working in GP Rs.4600), viz. IT Cadre, Malaria & Health Inspector, CLI etc. in GP Rs.4800 and 5400. AIRF is of the view that, cooling period be reduced from four to two years for all the categories.
Conferences of the GMs, CPOs as well as meetings of the PREM are not being arranged since long. These conferences may be held at the earliest inter-alia inviting Recognized Federations.
The practice of outsourcing/contractorisation throughout the Indian Railways, even where manpower is available, must be discouraged and stopped immediately. Recently, two trains, running from Katra, where manpower is already available, have been outsourced at the cost of rupees five crore. We demand that, such indiscriminate hiring/outsourcing should be stopped. In case, in compelling circumstances this is necessary to be done; the matter should be discussed at the Divisional level with the Recognized Unions.
An Introductory meeting for Cadre Restructuring of certain categories of staff was held on 13.09.2022 and no further meeting on this issue has been held till this distant date. It is emphasized to complete Cadre Restructuring exercise within six months period by fixing effecting date w.e.f. 01.11 .2003 of Cadre Restructuring.
Besides the above, inordinate delay is being noticed in Cadre Restructuring of Pointsmen Category by referring the matter to the Finance Ministry by the Official Side. Restructuring of Pointsmen and other categories of the staff should be done in-house on the pattern of Track Maintainer Cadre. This should be considered and a decision in this regard may be taken at the earliest.
Against approximately 17,000 vacancies of ALP, a notification has been issued in CEN No.01/2024 dated 20.01 .2024 to fill-up 5696 posts of ALP, which is not in commensurate with the actual requirement of the Zonal Railways. Therefore, calculation of ALPs recruitment seems to be incorrect as against 17,000 vacancies only 5,000 have been published. This needs to be re-calculated and actual existing vacancies be notified by issuing necessary Corrigendum.
Longer duty hours(up to 16 hrs.) of the Running Staff is a sheer violation of the HOER and Labour Law. Therefore, the matter may be examined at the length by revising duty hours of the Running Staff for their more better efficiency in performing duty.
It has been revealed that, more than 1,80,000 vacancies in the Railways are available. A calendar for recruitment to fill-up these vacancies be made by giving priority for recruitment in GP Rs.1800 as there are large-number vacancies in this grade.
A demand was made for absorption of all the Course Completed Railway Act Apprentices who have qualified in Written Examinations and passed Medical Test against CEN-1/2019 as well as passed in B-1 /C-1 medical standards. Besides this, immediate recruitment of the CCAAs, available on the Railways, as well as they should be given relaxation in age limit.
Employees are being forced to approach the Court due to non-redressal of their legitimate demand. The issue of PWS/SOMs is such a case where whosoever is approached to the Court is getting benefit in persona. Those who have not approached the Court, despite having similar nature of their case/grievance, are not considered for given such benefit by depriving their legitimate right. As a result of such practice/attitude of the Official Side, a large-number of Court Cases have been filed by the effected staff and
become a cause of pressure on manpower due to extra burden of the Court Cases work. AIRF, therefore, demands that, there should be some mechanism, which could settle the matter out of the Court to avoid unwarranted for litigation from the Staff Side.
Benefit of financial upgradation, under MACPS to SOMs and Sr. PWSs of Civil Engineering Department, recruited through Direct Recruitment, should be extended immediately in compliance of the Court verdict.
Despite several rounds of discussion with Railway Board, the matter is still not finalized, which leads to various Court cases and huge expenditure/manpower. We, therefore, demand, this issue should be decided on top priority. Service condition of six years, as envisaged in Para 512(8) of the IRMM, 2000, should be modified by reducing it to 04 years as first PME is done after 04 years of appointment. Since no re-examination during service for A-1, A-2 and A-3 categories employees is due after six years, this condition is illogical, hence needs to be amended.
Railway Trained Loco Pilots are medically de-categorized with Laser Surgery, which is a great loss to the Railways as well as the employees. Nowadays, Laser Surgery has been recognized globally and Pilots are permitted to fly with laser Surgery. This practice is also adopted by the other fields, such as Transportation DepartmenURoadways, by allowing Laser Surgery operated employees to work on their respective posts. It is, therefore, demanded that, Trained Loco Pilots should be allowed to operate the train instead of decategorizing them after Laser Surgery.
There is a move for closure of Railway Printing Press Eastern Railway, Howrah w.e.f. 22.01 .2024. Letter No.Ptg.&Sty./Closure/2023 dated 17.01 .2024 should be held in abeyance and this issue should be resolved amicably. This matter has been repeatedly discussed with Railway Board several times, but not yet finalized. We, therefore, strongly demanded that, Railway Printing Presses should not be closed without proper deployment of the staff by exercising option by them. This matter should be resolved in consultation with the Organized Labour.
It is demanded that, validity of the NOC given by the Accepting Authority for the purpose of Inter-Railway Transfer should be extended without prescribing any time limit, keeping in view the experience faced on Southern Railway, where over 13,000 employees were recruited under RRB/RRC and completed mandatory five years minimum service. Out of these, about 5,043 employees are waiting for their relieving due to administrative delay on one or other plea. This matter may please be looked into and transfer of the employees on Spouse Ground should be materialized immediately.
Railways are not taking opportunity for bringing NPS covered staff into OPS in the context of the letter issued by the Ministry of Pensions & Pensioners’ Welfare. Cases related to Compassionate Ground Appointment are most deserving for OPS but are not considered under OPS. Similarly, Act Apprentices who completed requisite course and appointed in Liluah and Kanchrapara Workshops are not given OPS though they have been recruited as Substitutes against regular vacancies. AIRF asserted to bringing NPS covered staff, who recruited on or after 01.01.2004 against the posts/vacancies advertised/notified prior to 22.12.2003 and also those appointed on Compassionate Ground and against Substitute, Scout & Guide, Sports Talented Quota and Quasi Staff on or after 01 .01 .2004 under the ambit of the OPS. The issue needs to be resolved at the earliest.
Crew working on Special/Holiday Special Train, start with O number, should be treated at par with Running Staff by providing all benefits as admissible to them.
Recruitment of the Medical Staff in the Railways are being held through GeM while other departments, such as Health Ministry and CGHS Hospital, recruit the staff directly. The existing policy for recruitment of the Medical Staff in the Railways should be discontinued and recruitment of the staff should be made directly on the pattern of Health Ministry and CGHS Hospitals etc.
It has been repeatedly stressed upon that, Robotic Surgery be introduced in Northern Railway Central Hospital, New Delhi. Regrettably, no action has been taken till this distant date. We, therefore, demand that, immediate action should be taken in this matter for the welfare of the Railway Staff as well as Doctors/Staff of Northern Railway Central Hospital, New Delhi.
The rate of Honorarium, equivalent to Minimum Wage, for Secretarial Assistance under PREM, has not yet been revised since long.
The matter regarding refund of the payment made by the Pensioners for CTSE has not yet been decided. It is asserted that the issue be resolved at the earliest.
AIRF, therefore, requests your goodself to issue necessary instructions to the concerned authority to consider the aforementioned important issues related to the employees and finalize the same at the earliest as these issues are pending for decision since long time.
Your kind cooperation to get finalized the above-mentioned significant issues at the earliest are solicited.

 Yours faithfully,
(Shiva Gopal M shra)
General Secretary

✓copy to: D.G.(H.R.), Railway Board – For necessary action please.
✓copy to: P.E.D.(I.R.), Railway Board – For necessary action please.
✓copy to: GSs, All Affiliated Unions – For information.