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Achuthanandan promises to take up demands of loco staff

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: A resolution to solve problems of the loco running staff would be passed in the Assembly and brought to the notice of the Railway Minister. Their main demand is to bring down working time from 10 hours to eight.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan promised this while inaugurating the concluding session of a two-day south zone conference of the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) here on Friday.

He said the association's demand to make their working hours on par with international standards needed consideration. "For this, I will personally take up the matter with the Railway Minister," he added.

The association presented a model of a diesel engine as a memento to the Chief Minister. The AILRSA first made this demand in 1973. But no Government considered the demand, said M.M. Roly, zonal secretary, who welcomed the gathering.

According to a report tabled in Parliament, there were 1,25,000 vacancies in the Railways. The staff reduction policy had a direct impact on the loco running staff, a release said.

S. Ajayakumar, MP, and member, Railway Parliamentary Committee, was the chief guest. K.A.S Mani, chairman, reception committee, presided. M. Krishnan, MP, and secretary of Central Government Employees Federation, K. Chandran Pillai, MP, L. Mony, central president of AILRSA, S.K Dhar, central general secretary, Janaki Raman, zonal general secretary, Dakshina Railway Employees Union, K.P. Mary, vice-president, NGO Union, K.V. Manoj, councillor, V.R. Vijayakumar, zonal secretary, All India Station Masters' Association, E.V.E. Vedanayakam, zonal secretary, All India Guard's Council, C. Madhusoodanan, zonal assistant general secretary, DRKS, and O.S. Sreenath, zonal secretary, IRTCSO, spoke on the occasion.

R. Nagarajan, divisional treasurer, proposed a vote of thanks.

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