Latest news with #KCJames
Hindustan Times
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Railways violates labour law, court order by subsuming daily rest within weekly rest: Loco pilots
New Delhi, The loco pilots and their unions have launched a strong protest against the Railway Ministry's recent decision to subsume 16 hours of daily rest within the 30 hours of weekly rest. However, officials from the Railway Ministry said several facilities such as availability of ACs in the running rooms and train engines, constant monitoring of loco pilots' working hours, vigorous recruitment drive to fulfil the vacant posts and several other measures have been taken in the interest of the running staff. A committee, constituted by the Railway Ministry to deliberate on the implementation and compliance of the accepted recommendations of the High-Powered Committee on working hours and rest, recently recommended that "periodic weekly rest includes daily headquarters rest" among other things. Various unions of running staff such as loco pilots alleged that the recommendation has invalidated the HPC's 2013 recommendation of a 40-hour minimum weekly rest and contradicted a judgment by the Karnataka High Court as well as directions from the regional labour commissioner. They said weekly rest is mandatory in all labour laws, including in Railway Servant Rules 2005. "All employees, whether they are employed in private or government establishments, avail a minimum of 24 hours rest as Weekly rest. This 24 hours of rest is followed by the daily rest," K C James, secretary general, All India Loco Running Staff Association , said. "When employees break off duty, say, at 5 PM on Saturday, they need to resume duty at 9 AM on Monday. Thus, they get at least 40 hours rest in a week, 16 hours as daily rest followed by 24 hours as weekly rest," he added. James stated that in administrative offices in government establishments, workers break off their duty at 5 pm on Friday and resume back to duty at 9 am on Monday, enjoying a 64-hour weekly rest, including the daily rest of 16 hours, and the same is followed in the Railways too. "According to the present rules, governing the hours of work and period of rest as embodied in Railway Servants Rules, 2005, a 16-hour daily rest and a 30-hour periodical rest has been prescribed," R Kumaresan, president, Southern Railway, AILRSA, said. He added, "When all other railway employees are allowed weekly rest hours followed by daily rest, why in the case of the running staff, while allowing weekly rest of 30 hours, the daily rest period is swallowed, stating that the 16 hours' daily rest is subsumed in weekly rest of 30 hours?" Thus, the running staff of the Indian Railways only get 30 hours of rest instead of 46 hours, 16 hours of daily rest plus 30 hours of weekly rest, Kumaresan argued. The union members said the International Labour Organisation convention stipulates that weekly rest and daily rest are separate provisions. "The Regional Labour Commissioner, the authorised/Competent authority to interpret the Rules on duty hours held that the daily rest and weekly rest are two provisions and both should not run concurrently. This decision was upheld by the Central Administrative Tribunal and High Court," James said. He added, "But the Railway management still did not honour these verdicts and has deprived the daily rest of 16 hours when weekly rest of 30 hours is being given to running staff. Why is this discrimination with only for running staff?" Post the recommendations of the committee, the Railway Board declared that the 16 hours of headquarters rest is subsumed into 30 hours of weekly/periodical rest in the case of running staff and directed them to resume duty on the completion of 30 hours of weekly/periodical rest. "Does the Railway Board apply this principle to all Railway workers and ask the workers who break off duty at 17.00 hours on Saturday to resume duty at 23.00 hours on Sunday on completion of 30 hours after they availed their weekly rest? Let the Railway Ministry answer this query," said James.
Hindustan Times
07-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Railway Ministry directs all zones to ensure prime condition of engine ACs
New Delhi, The Railway Ministry has directed all its 17 zones to launch a month-long drive to ensure the air conditioning systems in train engines are in prime condition to beat the summer heat. Railway Ministry directs all zones to ensure prime condition of engine ACs In a written communication sent to all zones, the ministry said that improving the working conditions of running staff is a thrust area for the Indian Railways to ensure safety in train operations. Asserting that effective Cab ACs are essential in the summer, it advised the zones to make sure during the month-long drive that "no locomotive should turn out from homing sheds/base sheds with any defective Cab AC." The May 6 letter added that Cab AC abnormality reports are being filled up by loco pilots/assistant loco pilots in the Crew Management System or log book and are also relayed to Traction Loco Controller for entry in the System for Locomotive Asset Management. It asked the zones to sensitise the departments concerned about paying timely attention to any defect in Cab ACs and "chalk out an action plan for early attention of locos with non-working Cab ACs as well as expedient fitment in remaining locos". "Officers and supervisors are advised to footplate in WAG 9 locomotives to understand and observe the effectiveness of Cab AC," the ministry said. It also added that the zonal railways should cover all electric and diesel locomotives fitted with Cab AC in this drive and submit a compliance report in a month. The All India Loco Running Staff Association, which held a day-long across the vast expanse of the rail network on April 30 demanding AC in all locomotives, has appreciated the ministry's move. "Your timely initiative in directing General Managers through your letter dated 06.05.2025 to improve the locomotive cabs is highly appreciated by the loco running staff," KC James, the secretary general of the association, said in a letter to the ministry. "We also expect that the Locomotive Cabins will be provided with AC in the near future to reduce the stress level of the crew and thereby improve the efficiency and safety of Railways," James added. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
Loco pilots allege 90 per cent ACs in engines faulty; Railways says all ACs fully functional
New Delhi, Loco pilot unions have alleged that 90 per cent of the air conditioners fitted in engines are faulty, making it difficult for train drivers to work during scorching summer when the temperature inside engines exceeds 50 degrees Celsius. However, the Railway Ministry has dismissed the allegations saying all the air-conditioning systems are fully functional with regular maintenance. "More than 15000 locomotives are functional in Indian Railways out of which 7,075 have been equipped with air conditioning systems to enhance the working environment for loco pilots. All these are fully functional with regular maintenance," Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Railway Board, said. The loco unions have also disputed the ministry's claim that out of 15,000 locomotives, 7075 have been fitted with air-conditioning systems. KC James, general secretary of All India Loco Running Staff Association , said there are a total of 10,500 electrical engines and 4500 diesel engines in the Indian Railways, totaling 15,000 engines. "Of these, less than 700 are fitted with AC and out of that less than 50 per cent of those ACs are operational," he said. He added, "Due to the lack of staff to carry out proper maintenance and the stepmotherly policy of the authorities, the ACs in the engine cabins have become non-functional. If they were installed in 700 as a result of years of agitation, how many more years will it take the same authorities to install them in 14300 engines?" Union leaders said that the highest ambient temperature in India during the summer seasons such as April, May and June is in the states like Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar etc. "The temperature in Rajasthan has already reached over 50°C. Last year's temperature was from 40° to 55°C and every year, it is increasing," Ram Sharan, central president of AILRSA, said. He added, "Even during winters, northern areas face extreme cold with ambient temperature going below 15°C which the crew experience too. Despite such a huge variation in temperatures in the engine, train services run smoothly and regularly." Loco pilots alleged the authorities pretend not to know that the temperature in the train engine is 5°C higher than this ambient temperature. "Not a single thermometer has been installed in the engine cabin to detect this ambient temperature," Sharan said. Union office bearers maintained that while field employees are given a break from work during the afternoon and senior railway authorities work in AC rooms at 20-23°C room, loco pilots are deprived of these benefits. "One can understand how difficult it is for loco pilots to concentrate working at 40-50°C ensuring safety of the train running," James said. He also demanded that failure of AC in the cab be treated as a loco failure and moved dead to the nearest loco shed. "This association requests the Railways to instruct officials concerned and loco shed supervisors to footplate in summer season, especially from 12- 16 hours and that too in WAG 9 locos so that the plight of loco pilots can be understood," James said.
