Will intensify stir if demands not met: SRMU

SRMU General Secretary N Kanniah said at the venue of the relay hunger fast observed by the union members hailing from the city that no decision has been on the demands of the railway men even two years after the high power ministerial committee promised to consider the demands of the employees.

Objecting the privatisation policy of the Railway ministry, Kanniah said the Railways would also be led on the path of non-recovery, as did the government with Air India and Indian Airlines through privatisation.

Accusing the management of attempting to remove 336 trackmen involved in the maintenance of the Rameswaram-Pudukkottai stretch and downsize the field strength on the stretch to 30 employees and two supervisors with the assistance of track machines, the SRMU General Secretary said the Ministry has proposed to privatise 30,000 km of electrified track. Strongly objecting the proposed closure of the railway schools in the zone, Kanniah added that shutting down the schools, which function for the weaker sections of the society, is a grave injustice to railway men.

Condemning the fixed term employment policy of railways, Kanniah further said that fixed term employment was worse than contract employment as employees are even denied social security benefits such as EPF and ESI, and they could be terminated over a 15-day notice.