.jpg "Railway staff threaten strike")
Chennai: All Indian Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) has threatened to go on indefinite strike in a couple of months if the ministry fails to accept its 36-point charter of demands including 20 per cent reservation in jobs for children of railway employees.
A two-day referendum will be conducted from Friday (December 20). About 14 lakh employees will participate in the ‘strike ballot’.
As many as 1,000 boxes have been placed at different locations within Southern Railway (SR) zone alone, AIRF working president N. Kanniah told mediaperson after leading an hour-long demonstration in front of the divisional manager’s officer here.
AIRF, which is an umbrella organisation of several railway workers trade unions, will require at least 80 per cent of the employees participating in the strike ballot and two-third of them voting in favour of the strike.
Asked about the government obliging and announcing 7th Pay Commission, Kanniah said the pay panel was one of their demands accepted by the government and 36 more remain unfulfilled.
Their demands include sorting out the anomalies in 6th pay commission recommendations, increasing the bonus ceiling, fill vacancies in tune with the new trains and routes announced and operated and merger of grade pay of Rs 2,400 and Rs 2,800 for all categories of railway employees.
“If we struck work for 26 days in 1974 when the Congress government at the Centre enjoyed brute majority, why cannot we do it now?” Kannaiah said adding that AIRF was not affiliated to any political party and most of the railway unions have supported their strike call.
All India Loco Running Staff Association was among the first to extend support to AIRF’s strike call to press for their demands.
