NFIR letter to Railway Board Regarding LARSGESS

NFIR letter to Railway Board Regarding LARSGESS

No. 11/34/2018-Part 1

The Chairman,
Railway Board,
New Delhi

Dated: 09/11/2018

Dear Sir.
Sub: LARSGESS-reg.
Ref: (i) Railway Board's letter No. E(P&A)I-2015/RT-43 dated 26/09/2018 (RBE No.150/2018).

(ii) NFIR's letter No. II/34/2018-Part I dated 27/09/2018 addressed to Hon’ble MR, copy to CRB, MS etc.
(iii) Railway Board's letter No. E(P&A)I-2015./RT-43 dated 28/09/2018 (RBE No. 151/2018).
(iv) NFIRs letter No. II/34/2018-Part I dated 03/10/2018.
(v) GS/NFIR's personal discussion with CRB on 25/10/2018.

Kind attention is invited to GS/NFIR's letter of even number dated 03rd October, 2018 to CRB (copy enclosed).

The subject was also discussed with the Member (Staff) by NFIR on 25th October, 2018 and explained the need for issuing instructions to GMs to appoint the wards of safety category staff who have already been selected prior to 27/10/2017. The MS has assured to take appropriate initiative and reach CRB for decision.

NFIR, therefore, requests the CRB to kindly see that orders are issued by Railway Board for appointing those selected wards of safety category staff early. As already requested by the Federation, CRB and Railway Board may kindly take conscious decision with regard to continuance of LARSGESS keeping in mind the reality that the Indian Railways is unique, complex and un-comparable with any other system and at times, decisions are required to be taken by Railways in larger public interest and equally safety of staff belonging to critical safety categories.

Yours faithfully,

(Dr. M. Raghavaiah)
General Secretary

NFIR: Revision of Kilometrage rates and other Allowances of Running Staff

Revision of Kilometrage rates and other Allowances of Running Staff

No. IV/RSAC/Conf./Part IX

Dated: 19/07/2018

Shri Ashwani Lohani,
Chairman,
Railway Board,
New Delhi.

Dear Sir,
Sub: Revision of Kilometrage rates and other Allowances of Running Staff - Summary Record note of discussions held on 04th and 05th January 2018 and meeting held between the Board (MS, FC, DG/P) and Federations on 10th March, 2018.

Ref: (i) Railway Board's file No. E (P&A) II/2013/Rs-14.
(ii) NFIR's letter No. IV/RSAC/Conf./Part IX dated 12/01/2018 & 07/02/2018 to Secretary, Railway Board, copy endorsed to EDPC-I and ED (IR), Railway Board.
(iii) NFIR's letter No. IV/RSAC/Conf./Part. IX dated 16/04/2018 addressed to CRB & copy enclosed to MS, FC, DG(P) etc.

During discussions on some important staff issues on 06th June, 2018 and thereafter, you have assured that the Railway Board would revise the kilometrage rates and other Allowances of Running Staff satisfactorily very soon, taking into account the NFIR's proposal seeking revision at Rs. 648.

In this connection, I request you to kindly appreciate that the abnormal delay in obtaining the concurrence of Ministry of Finance for revision of kilometrage allowance rates has been causing disappointment among Running Staff. I further bring to your kind notice that while revision of various Allowances has already been granted from 1st July, 2017, this particular case of revision of kilometrage rates for Running Staff is continued to remain pending even after lapse of one year.

I therefore, request you to kindly intervene to see that concurrence of Ministry of Finance is obtained at the earliest for revising the kilometrage rates of Running Staff with retrospective effect. A line in reply is solicited.

Yours faithfully,
(Dr. M. Raghavaiah)
General Secretary

Source: NFIR

Cadre Control/Manpower Management of Mechanical & Electrical Staff involved in Diesel Maintenance & Operation and EMU/MEMU/TL/AC Maintenance and Operation

Cadre Control/Manpower Management of Mechanical & Electrical Staff involved in Diesel Maintenance & Operation and EMU/MEMU/TL/AC Maintenance and Operation

Government of India
Ministry of Railways
(Railway Board)

No.2018/O&M/8/1

New Delhi, Dated 1st May 2018

The General Managers,
All Indian Railways.

Sub: Cadre Control/Manpower Management of Mechanical & Electrical Staff involved in 
Diesel Maintenance & Operation and EMU/MEMU/TL/AC Maintenance and Operation.

This is in supersession of all orders issued earlier on this subject.

2. Board has revisited the issue of complete separation of Traction and Coaching verticals at divisional level and decided the following.

a) The cadre control of Non-Gazetted staff diesel maintenance and operations would be under MTR and the cadre control of Non-Gazetted staff of MEMU/EMU/TL/AC would be under MRS.
b) The Administrative control of the officers manning diesel maintenance and operations would be with MTR and the administrative control of the officers of electrical coaching, including MEMU/EMU, TL/AC etc. would be under MRS.
c) Cadre control of Electrical Divisions, if there is a separate Sr.DME/DME for O&F wing, he would continue to look after the power wing till a Sr.DEE/DEE (OP/TRO) is posted and technically report to PCEE. If there is only one Sr.DME looking after both C&W and Operations, then diesel operations shall be placed under DME/AME and kept under administrative control of Sr.DEE/DEE of the division and the Sr.DME would look after Breakdown and C&W and would continue to report to PCME..
e) In Divisions, where the post of Sr.DEE/DEE (OP/TRO) is available, work of Diesel operations shall be transferred to Sr.DEE/DEE (OP/TRO) and the post of Sr.DME/DME (Power/O&F) would be re-designated as Sr.DME/DME (Freight) or Sr.DME/DME (EnHM) or as considered necessary in the mechanical cadre by the General Manager.
f) In electrified Divisions where the post of Sr.DME/DME(Power) and Sr.DME/DME(Freight) are both available, the post of Sr.DME/DME(Power/O&F) can be used as Sr.DME/DME (EnHM) or as considered necessary in the mechanical cadre…
g) In all divisions, the entire paraphernalia of TL & AC be placed under one DEE/AEE who would report to Sr.DME/C&W. On similar analogy one post of DME or AME (Power) along with the running staff looking after operation would report to the Sr.DEE looking after operations. while dual reporting should generally be avoided, however concerned DRM’s shall take a final call in the overall administrative interest whenever there is only one DEE/AEE or DME/AME.
h) The ministerial staff under Sr.DME/DME Power would be suitably redistributed by the DRM between the Sr.DEE (OP/TRO) and Sr.DME(EnHM) or Freight or as the case may be.
i) The same strategy as at 2(e) above shall be followed in non-electrified Divisions once Sr.DEE(OP/TRO) is posted.

3. The breakdown staff is generally provided by C&W and in few cases by Diesel sheds. While this arrangement shall continue and can be streamlined subsequently, the work of breakdown/accident relief should be assigned by the DRM's normally to a Sr.DME from the coaching side while implementing this order. PCME shall also continue to remain the technical head for breakdown/accident relief works.

5. The implementation of the above all over IR be completed in the next 15 days. Any minor issues that emerge subsequently should be sorted out at the level of GM’s without making any reference to Board.

6. The above issues with the approval of CRB.

S/d,
(H.Moharana)
Joint Secretary/Railway Board

Meeting with Honorable Minister for Railways on 03.02.2017 - Feedback

Meeting with Honorable Minister for Railways on 03.02.2017 - Feedback

Though the CRB has assured that, shortly needful will be done in the matter, but it is advised to all of you that we should continue our agitations till this letter of the Railway Board is withdrawn.

A.I.R.F
All India Railwaymen's Federation
(Estd, 1924)
4, State Entry Road,
New Delhi - 110055

No.AIRF/24(C)

Dated: February 3, 2017

The General Secretaries,
All Affiliated Unions,

Dear Comrades!

Sub: Meeting with Hon'ble Minister for Railways

Today I met Hon'ble Minister for Railways, Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu and handed him over a copy of our Protest Letter, No.AIRF/24(C) dated February 2, 2017, against Railway Board's letter No.2017/E(LR)III/Ref./RB/1 dated 30.01.2017, wherein Supervisors(Grade Pay of Rs.4200 and above) working in Safety Categories have been debarred from become office-bearers of the unions/federation after 31.03.2017.

I explained him that, on the one hand railway administrations wants all sorts of cooperation from the federation, on the other they are issuing such a letter wherein they are directly interfering in the unions/federation affairs.

Hon'ble MR immediately called the CRB and advised him that this issue should be resolved without any further loss of time.

In our letter as well as during the course of discussions I demanded immediate withdrawal of Railway Board's letter supra dated 30.01.2017, which is illegal and against 87th ILO Convention and having no ground for debarring the supervisors from the trade union in the name of safety.

Though the CRB has assured that, shortly needful will be done in the matter, but it is advised to all of you that we should continue our agitations till this letter of the Railway Board is withdrawn.

With Fraternal Greetings!

Yours faithfully,
sd/-
(Shiv Gopal Mishra)
General Secretary

Source: AIRF

Charter of Demands – NFIR requested to the CRB for special initiative related to 7th Pay Commission

NFIR
National Federation of India Railwaymen

No. II/95/Part VIII

Dated: 13/04/2016

The Chairman,
Railway Board,
New Delhi

Dear Sir,
Sub : NFIR’s Charter of Demands – reg

Ref: (i) NFIR’s letter No. IV/NFIR/7th CPC/CORRES (R.B.) dated 11/01/2016
(ii) NFIR’ s letter No. IV/NJCA(N)/2014-Part I dated 23/01/2016
(iii) NFIR’s letrer No. IV/NFIR 7th CPC/CORRES (R.B) dated 12/01/2016
(iv) NFIR’s letter No. II/95 Part VIII dated 12/02/2016
(v) NFIR’s letter No. II/95/Part VIII dated 14/03/2016.
(vi) NFIR’s lefferNo. IV/NFIR/7th CPC/CORRES (R.8.) dated 11/04/2016.
(vii)Railway Board’ s letter No. 2015/E(LR)/I1/1/8 dated 08/03/2016
(viii) Railway Board’s letter No. 2016/E(LR)II/2 dated 14/15-03-2016.

Kind attention is invited to the references cited above on the pending issues of Railway employees as also the issues arisen consequent upon retrograde recommendations of 7th CPC.

During the. meeting of Empowered Committee of secretaries held on 1St March 2016 under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary, the JCM (Staff Side) Members have explained on 26 point Charter of Demands and “Strike Decision” in the event negotiated settlement is not reached. After hearing the JCM (Staff Side) Members, on each issue listed in the Charter of Demands, the Cabinet Secretary said that adequate time is needed to facilitate inter-departmental consultations to crystallize the issues to be processed further. Responding to the suggestion of Cabinet Secretary, the “strike date” has been deferred, hoping that there will be a negotiated settlement on the demands by the end of May 2016.

There are many Railway specific issues which were discussed at the level of CRB & MS on 23/08/2013, 07/02/2014, 20/07/2015, 01/10/2015, 04/02/2016 & 08/02/2016. Consequently, records note of discussions were circulated. In this connection, kind attention is invited to Railway Board’s references No. 2013/E(LR)-IU1/15 dated 02/09/2013, 2013/E(LR)II/1/17 dated 18/02/2014, 2015/E(LR)IU13/3 dated 07/08/2015, 2015/E(LR)II/1/8 dated 27/10/2015, 2015/E(LR)II/1/8 dated 30/11/2015, 2015/E(LR)II/1/8 dated 08/03/2016 & 2016/E(LR)II/1/2 dated 14/15-03-2016.

It is however noticed that commitments given by the Board pursuant to discussions are yet to be implemented. Some issues dealt in the Fast Track Committee meetings and Running Staff issues discussed in the Joint Committee Meetings are yet to be resolved satisfactorily. Orders for stepping up of pay of Loco Inspectors inducted prior to 01/01/2006 have not been issued yet even though SLPs were dismissed by the Apex Court.

The delay in finalizing the pending issues is contributing serious unrest among staff of various categories. Added to this situation, the negative and retrograde recommendations of the VIIth Central Pay Commission have generated anger and frustration among Technicians, Technical Supervisors, Running Staff, Safety categories staff, Supervisory Officials, Railway common categories staff etc.

You are aware that in the interaction meeting of Empowered Committee of Secretaries held on 30th March 2016 under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary, the Federations have explained the uniqueness of Railways and complex and difficult nature of working of Railway employees and the need for modification of 7th CPC recommendations and also rectification of VI CPC anomalies by implementing the agreements reached with the Railway Ministry. The need for exemption of Railways from National Pension System (NPS) and the communications sent by Hon’ble Railway Ministers to this effect to the Hon’ble Finance Minister have also been apprised to the chairman of the Empowered Committee of Secretaries on 30th March, 2016.

As the time is running out, the NFIR once again requests the CRB to kindly take special initiative towards resolving the issues through negotiated settlement at the earliest for preserving industrial peace in the Railways.

Thanking You,

Yours faithfully

(Dr. M. Raghavaiah)
General Secretary

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