SWREA members stage protest in front of SWR GM's office on Gadag Road in Hubballi on Friday.
SWREA members stage protest in front of SWR GM's office on Gadag Road in Hubballi on Friday.
As per the call given by the All-India Railway Engineers Federation (AIREF), members of the South Western Railway Engineers' Association (SWREA) staged a 'Mission safety dharna' here on Friday, demanding Group B status for engineers, removal of pay discrimination and other amenities.
After taking out a rally from the divisional railway manager's office, SWREA members staged a protest in front of the SWR general manager's office on Gadag Road. They charged that the Railway Board is not taking measures for the welfare of around 80,000 railway engineers across the country. Their demands for Group B status, higher grade pay, risk allowances, technical allowances and overtime allowances are not fulfilled, they lamented.
Removal of pay anomaly in the sixth central pay commission recommendations, time-bound assured promotions, general departmental competition examination scheme to fill up 50% quota of Group A posts for senior section engineers and junior engineers who have qualification of degree in engineering, compulsory weekly rest, implementation of recommendations of all safety committees including Khanna Committee and Task Force on Safety, and recognition to AIREF and its affiliated zonal railway engineers associations were among their other demands.
There is a hidden agenda between Railway Board and labour federations to protect each other, resulting in denial of Group B status to railway engineers, protesters charged.
SWREA President G S Itagi, General Secretary Shafi Kazi, and others led the protest.