Central Railway (CR) services may be affected on Friday as motormen have threatened not to work overtime. Negotiations with CR administration were under way until late on Thursday. If the motormen decide not to work overtime, then as many as 250 services could be affected across both Central Line and the Harbour Line.
The core issue revolves around the ‘removal of service’ of motormen for cases involving Signal Passing At Danger (SPAD). However, motormen claim that the rule is too harsh and prior experience is not looked at before doling out the punishment.
The motormen are demanding that 229 vacant posts be filled so that they do not need to work overtime. “Several SPAD cases happen because motormen are overworked,” said a motorman, who is part of the Joint Action Forum.
CR has a sanctioned strength of 898 motormen, but have only 669 on their rolls. Overtime is calculated every 14 days. If a motorman has worked more than 104 hours in that period, he gets anywhere between ₹500 and ₹1,200 for each extra hour he has put in.
Chief Public Relations Officer, CR, Sunil Udasi, said, “There is a set system of dialogue between trade unions and the administration. The issues will be amicably resolved.”