Kerala - Kochi   

Railway catering workers on the warpath

John L. Paul

Demanding job security

KOCHI: A section of workers employed by a catering contractor held a dharna before the office of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation here on Friday, demanding job security.

They were rendered jobless after the Corporation re-tendered the contract and awarded catering work to a new contractor.

Addressing the workers, K. Chandran Pillai, MP, said that the workers had nowhere to go, after the new contractor took over. "We have made two suggestions: either the new contractor has to absorb workers employed by the previous contractor, or incorporate a new clause in the rules which give job security to workers. The matter has been taken up with V. Sreeram, the Group GM of the corporation," he said.

Workers employed by the previous contractor had attacked those employed by the new one a week back, when they were serving food in the Ernakulam-Nizamuddin Mangla Express. The situation took an unruly turn in Ernakulam Junction and Shoranur railway stations.

Ernakulam Regional Manager of the corporation J. Vinayan said the tender was awarded to a new person through due process of law. "Now the previous workers are demanding that the new contractor employ them. There are no rules which say that this should be done. On our part, we arranged a meeting between a representative of the new licencee and workers of the previous licencee. The new contractor was willing to absorb a section of the workers." Workers insist that each one of them be accommodated by the new contractor.

A top-ranking official of the corporation said the contractor concerned is responsible for taking care of the workers. "It is not the corporation's job. Our endeavour is to provide quality, hygienic food to train passengers and we do it by inviting tenders from qualified caterers," he said. The corporation had brought about revolutionary changes in railway catering ever since its inception a few years back.

Railway sources said some contractors who had monopoly hold over catering for decades were behind the agitation.

Addressing a press conference, T.K. Achuthan, general secretary of Railway Contract Catering Workers Union, threatened an indefinite strike if no steps were taken to reinstate the workers immediately.

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