Railway union demands end to contract staff in safety-critical roles
The South Central Railway Employees’ Sangh seeks the filling of 1.5 lakh safety category vacancies across Indian Railways.
The South Central Railway Employees’ Sangh (SCRES) has opposed the Railways Ministry's reliance on outsourcing for safety-critical operations and demanded that sanctioned vacancies be filled within a set timeframe, according to The Hindu.
SCRES general secretary M. Raghaviah stated that the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) recommended reducing contract workers in safety-related duties in the short term and eliminating them in the long term. This recommendation followed the collision of the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express at Kavarapettai station on October 11, 2024.
Raghaviah alleged that contract personnel are being used to compensate for regular employee shortages in safety-sensitive operations. He claimed there are approximately 1.5 lakh vacancies in safety categories across Indian Railways.
In the South Central Railway (SCR) and South Coast Railway (SCoR) zones, the union noted around 1,300 vacant Station Master posts, nearly 1,000 Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) vacancies, and about 3,000 apprentice-related vacancies.
The union also submitted demands to the Eighth Central Pay Commission (CPC), including a minimum monthly salary of ₹69,000 based on a 3.833 fitment factor. Media coordinator V. Sripati Sarma stated the union also reiterated its demand for the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
Other demands include merging Dearness Allowance (DA) with basic pay once DA reaches 25 per cent, increasing the annual increment rate from 3 per cent to 6 per cent, and introducing open-ended pay scales.