Ujjain: A western region meeting was organised by Bharatiya Railway Mazdoor Sangh, the all-India industrial unit of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), at Community Hall on February 29 and March 1.
It was organised by Western Railway Staff Council and 46 officials and representatives of 21 divisions of Western Railway, Central Railway, West Central Railway, North Western Railway and South East Central Railway attended the meeting. The two-day meet was organised in 10 sessions, which was addressed by national organising secretary B Surendran of BMS, Ashok Shukla, national general secretary of Indian Railway Mazdoor Union, national organising secretary DK Chakraborty, national vice-president Satyanarayan Sharma, national deputy general secretary Mangesh Deshpande and Shivalhari Sharma, general secretary of Western Railway Staff Council.
In a press conference on Sunday, the employees’ leaders condemned privatisation, corporatisation of the railways being carried out by the Central government and emphasised the silent acceptance of both the recognized organizations working on the railways and furor over future of the employees. The side effect of New Pension System (NPS) and its adverse effects on future of new employees recruited after January 1, 2007 and bleak future was also highlighted by them.
There was full participation of both the recognised organisations working on the Railways in implementing NPS and the leaders of both organisations were trustees and members in NPS Trust and cautioned the authorities not to play with the future of new railway employees. Referring to the efforts made in connection with the NPS by the Indian Railway Mazdoor Union/ BMS, Surendran stated that the government’s contribution to the NPS was increased from 10 percent to 14 percent and other reforms were also carried out.
It was also said that Indian Railway Mazdoor Union/BMS are struggling to bring all the employees under the old pension scheme by canceling the NPS. Under this, a signature campaign was launched from February 1 to February 29, in which letters addressed to the Railways Minister have been signed from the NPS affected employees, who will hold a demonstration, dharna, rally and submit memorandum at all the general managers’ office on the entire Indian Railways on March 5. The protest will be intensified until the NPS is repealed.
Apart from this, a detailed discussion was held on the proposed elections for recognition of trade union and a framework was prepared for the organisations’ activities and programmes for the future. Officials of all the divisions, factories and zones presented informed about their preparations and expressed confidence of winning the upcoming election. In the last session a seminar was organised against NPS, which was addressed by Surendran. Board president Kailash Bhavsar expressed the vote of thanks.
