NFIR

Natiohal Federation of IndianRailwaymen 3, CHELMSFORD R O A D .N E W D E L H I- 11 O0 5 5 Affiliated to : IndianNationalTradeUnion Congress(INTUC) lnternationalTransport Workers' Federation(lTF) Dated:06109120t5

P r e s sS t a t e m e n to f D r . M . R a g h a v a i a hG , e n e r a lS e c r e t a r v N . FIR trt(trtr?ktr*rk

T h e N a t i o n a lF e d e r a t i oonf I n d i a nR a i l w a y r n ew n h i l e w e l c o m i n gt h e C o v e r n m e n t ' s announcement for introduction of "One Rank- One Pension"lor ex-servicemen, urgesuponthe H o n ' b l eP r i m eM i n i s t e rt o t a k es t e p sf o r g r a n t i n gs i r n i l a rp e n s i o n a rbye n e f i t st o t h e R a i l w a v e m p l o y e easl s o , The dutiesof Railwayemployeesarehazardous, risky and complex.They work at over 8 . 0 0 0R a i l w a ys t a t i o ncso v e r i n gt h e R a i l w a yT r a c k so f o v e r6 5 . 0 0 0k m s .O v e r8 5 %o f

Railway employees. performduties at remoteplaces.extremistinfestedareasand placeswhere no t o w n s h i po r m e d i c a lo r d r i n k i n gw a t e r o r s c h o o l i n gf b c i l i t i e se x i s t . l - i k e A r m y , Railway employee c a n n o tl e a v et h e i r p o s t t i l l a n o t h e e r m p l o y e et a k e so v e r t h e c h a r g e1. ' h eR a i l w a y 'fracks a r er n a i n t a i n ebdy t h ee m p l o y e el sa c i n gi n c l e m e nwt e a t h ecro n d i t i o nasn dw o r k i n gu n d e r opensky akinto thatof defbncepersonnel. On an average 800 Railwayemployees get killedpcr y e a ri n t h ec o u r s e o f p e r f o r m i ndgu t i e sa n dn e a r l y3 0 0 0s u s t a i n i n . i u r i ewsh i l eo n

duty.

For ensuringuninterrupted servicesthe Railwayemployees are requirecj to be on high a l e r t n e sast a l l t i m e s T . h e R a i l w a ye m p l o y e em s aintain h i g hd e g r e eo f d i s c i p l i n a e n de f , t i c i e n c y to ensurethat the Rail TransportSystemfunctionswithoutinterruption. l-he Chairmanof the R a i l w a yS a f e t yR e v i e wC o m m i t t e eJ"u s t i c eH . R . K h a n n a( R e t i r e dS u p r e m e C o u r tJ u d g e )h a d observed in his reportthat the workingof the Railwaysystemis more like armedtbrces. thus. h i s t o r i c a ltl h y eI n d i a nR a i l w a y sf u n c t i o ndsi f f e r e n t lfyr o mo t h e rC o v e r n m e n t Institutions. T h e u n i q u e n e si ns d u t i e sb e i n gp e r f o r m ebdy R a i l w a ye n r p l o y e ei s u n m a t c h eads

these

e m p l o y e easr ei n v o l v e di n s a f ea n de t f l c i e nttr a i no p e r a t i o nmso r ep a r t i c u l a r tl yh es t a t f like'l'rain Controllers, StationMasters,ElectricSignalMaintainer. TechnicalStaff, Loco pilot. Guards. Technical Supervisors whosedutiesandresponsibilities aresimilarto thatof defencepersonnel. C o n t dP . a g e. , , 2

/lzil IndianRailwaysplayscrucialrole not only for theeconomicdevelopment of thecountry but alsofor ensuringrapidmovementof Army, Military Hardwareto the Bordersand risesto the occasions whenthe securityof the countryis at stake.Railwayemployeesfacewar like situation in theirday-to-day workingi.e.breaches, bandhs. civil disobedience movements. accidents etc.. andensuremaintaining the supplylineall throughout. It is unfortunatethat the Railway employeeshave been subjectedto injustice by govemingthem underNew PensionSchemewith effect from January,2004,Railwaymen's demandpr abolitionof New PensionSchemeis unresolved even thoughRailwayMinister MallikarjunKhargehadrecommended for exemption of Railwaysfrom New PensionScheme. I therefore,appealto the Prime Ministerof India to scrapNew PensionSchemein Railwaysand grant"One Rank- One Pension"Schemeto the Railwayemployees as hasbeen agreedto in the caseof retiringdefencepersonnel.

rat,v ( D r . M . R a g h a v a i a h [| GeneralSecretary,J Forwarded to the esteemed Newsand Electronicmediafor coverageplease.