Railway Workers Continue Struggle for Their Rights

Today the condition of workers in all sectors and institutions across Pakistan is miserable. Railway is not prone to this. Constant decline real wages combined with adverse working conditions is widespread in Railway. The workers have been struggling for the last many years for their decent working conditions. At one side the government is constantly cutting budget of Railway and on the other side there is a continuous threat of privitisation to private profiteering companies. The demands put forward by the railway workers include:

  • 100% increase in wages and allowances.
  • TLA workers in gangmen staff must be made permanent.
  • Every worker must be given six annual increments.
  • TA budget (travelling allowance) must be given in all the departments according to work and the TA budget must be increased.
  • Jobs should not be given under TLA but every worker must be made permanent in all the departments.
  • All the workers in engineering, gangmen, carriage and wagon works, loco shed works, traffic signals, electrical works, telecom and commercial staff must be paid operational/ maintenance/ commercial allowance equal to 65% of wages.
  • Technical staff must be paid technical allowance equal to 40% of wages. The announced payment of Rs.6,000/month (£44/mo) must be implemented immediately.
  • The redundant 50% quota of jobs or railway workers off-springs and descendants must be reinstated immediately and increased to 75%.
  • The 25% technical allowance which has been approved by the High Court must be released immediately to the shed staff. Two scale up gradation which has also been approved for loco shed mechanics and electrical must be implemented immediately.
  • TA (travelling allowance) has notbeen paid in long time and must be released immediately.