Ujjain: The National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) and all other zonal unions of NFIR including Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh (WRMS), which has membership of 10 lakh railway employees, is heading a strong protest all over the country against the massive privatisation, outsourcing, corporatisation of production units and sale of railway colonies in all divisions of Indian railways.
Lakhs of railwaymen who are living in railway colonies will be left without any house. During a press conference on Friday, NFIR vice-president and WRMS general secretary JG Mahurkar said that they are also opposing the handing over of mail and express passenger trains to private parties for the first time in the history of railway. They alleged that it will exploit the passengers and earn huge profits without rendering good service. The goal of the contractors or agencies running the trains would be to maximize the profit quantitatively, not qualitatively.
The veteran leader feels that the highest level of safety standards which has been maintained by Indian railways in the last five decades will be compromised by the contractors.
Prior to it, Mahurkar also addressed the general meeting of the WRMS held at the railway station premises. Divisional president Sharif Khan Pathan, secretary BK Garg, BL Suryawanshi, Abhilash Nagar, Narendra Sahgal, Nanak Singh, Vinod Yadav and Anand Bhatt also spoke. During the meeting, conducted by SK Yadav, the members of Association for PWay Engineers and PP Pointsmen Association also handed over a memorandum to Mahurkar.
