BENGALURU: Trouble is slowly brewing again at the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). The issue this time is the massive increase effected in the graveyard shift for Track Maintenance employees at the Baiyappanahalli depot. What is causing much heartburn among the staff is that since July 7 the mandatory duty of six nights a month has been increased to anywhere between 16 and 18-night shifts.
Billing it as 'harassment', the Bangalore Metro Rail Employees Union (BMREU) is now taking up cudgels on behalf of 36 employees, including 6 women, of the P-Way department of Line-1 (Baiyappanahalli to Mysuru Road). The Union is writing to both the BMRCL management and the Labour Commission appealing for restoration of the previous roster.
Instead of working on the first shift (6 am to 2 pm), second shift (2 pm to 10 pm) and night shift (10 pm to 6 am) in rotation every month so that the number of nights for each staffer comes to six a month, P-way Track Maintainers have been told to work four nights and two days with a day off every week.
Union Vice-President Suryanarayana Murthy told Express, "Trebling the number of night shifts will take a toll on the health of these employees as well as their ability to perform their duties efficiently, particularly in a sensitive department like Track Maintenance."
BMRCL officials deny any kind of harassment. A senior official said Metro track maintenance work could be done only between 12 midnight and 4 am when operations are shut. "Work in the Track Maintenance department is of that nature only. Our operations have increased massively since Phase-I commenced, forcing us to carry out more track-related work. There is no desire to forcibly make anyone work throughout night," he said.
Paid parking resumes at Mysuru Rd Metro Stn
BMRCL has inked a deal with popular bike rental agency, M/s Wicked Ride, to provide parking services at Mysuru Road Metro station. Beginning Saturday, paid parking will resume at the station after a one-week gap from August 4, said an official release. For cars/jeep: `60 for an entire day; for two-wheelers `30 for an entire day. Entire day refers only to Metro operation timings (5 am to 11.30pm).