TIRUCHY: Keeping in mind the recent railway accidents in the country and plans to improve passenger safety, the Railway Board has directed safety supervisors of the recognised railway unions to demit office. This has come as a blow to the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU), the sole recognised union of the Southern Railway.
“Supervisors working in safety category posts play a pivotal role in ensuring safe running of trains. In the current situation, the supervisors need to put in their best effort to ensure that staff working under them are alert at all times as railways works 24x7,” said the order dated January 30 from Deputy Director with Establishment Section of Railway Board Nirmala Tirkey. The only solace was that the order did not prevent safety supervisors from being members of recognised trade unions.
The Railway Board has also directed the general managers to ensure that supervisors working in safety categories did not serve as office-bearers after March 31.
Several safety category supervisors hold top posts in unions. In Tiruchy Division alone, around 15 to 20 supervisors belonging to the SRMU hold office. “The railway safety supervisors devote most of their time to the union work, thus affecting their official role,” a senior Southern Railway official said.
A senior office-bearer from the SRMU who did not wish to be named alleged that the railways under the BJP has begun suppressing the unions by listening to the bureaucrats of top brass of the Railway Board. The SRMU also held a protest two days ago regarding the move.
Dakshin Railway Employees Union’s deputy general secretary D Manoharan told Express that the move was totally against the railway policy.