“The Centre has not considered our 36-point charter of demands”

With the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approving only the original recommendations of the Seventh Central Pay Commission, trade unions here are going ahead with their indefinite strike plan from July 11.

“We are thoroughly disappointed with the government’s announcement. All the anomalies raised by the trade unions have not been considered and the government did not bother to discuss the issue with railwaymen,” J.M. Rafi, divisional secretary, Southern Railway Mazdoor Union, said.

The government did set up empowered committee to discuss the anomalies, but it had not addressed demands of railway trade unions, he said.

“We feel cheated by the Union Government and we are getting ready for the strike,” Mr. Rafi said.

“The strike is not about pay raise alone. We want the government to give up its proposals on privatisation of railways which will hit the common man hard,” said R. Sankaranarayanan, divisional secretary, Dhakshin Railway Employees’ Union.

Stating that the government was making misleading statements on pay rise, he said that while it was 40 per cent hike in the past pay commission reports, now it stood at mere 14 per cent. “While the railway is being run under Railway Act 1989, the government wants to form Railway Development Authority that can take unilateral decision without a need for ratification from the Parliament. Privatisation will result in three-fold rise in passenger fare. Subsidy on transportation of essential commodities will be done away with,” he said.

M. Jeyapandi, divisional president, Southern Railway Employees’ Sangh, said that the Union government had not considered not even one of the 36-point charter of demands of railway men. The minimum pay remained at Rs. 18,000 while the demand was for Rs. 26,000. Similarly, the government was silent on scrapping 52 allowances meant for railway men, he said.