Chennai: Over 88,000 railway employees under Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU), India’s largest government accredited railway union, has decided to hold an ‘indefinite general strike’ from July 11 threatening the stoppage of train movement across the southern states.
The decision came after SRMU general body meeting at Kamarajar Arangam at Teynampet and after a meeting with the convener of southern region joint action council on Wednesday.
SRMU has sought the inclusion of railway employees under the ‘New Pension Scheme’ that is currently allotted to the army personnel, payment of interim relief and the merger of 100 percent Dearness Allowance (DA) to be met with on an emergency basis.
“We want the railway to fill the three lakh vacancies immediately and raise the pay scale of the regular employee to Rs 26, 000 from Rs 18,000,” said N. Kanniah, general secretary,SRMU at a press meet at Teynampet.
The general body of SRMU expressed its disappointment and anger against the railway minister’s announcement in his budget on the need for implementation of the Bibek Debroy committee recommendations that was proposed in the month of January.
More than 6,000 delegates of SRMU from all over Southern Railways across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry participated in the general body meeting in which election of office bearers took place.
