PALAKKAD: On International Workers’ Day, the aggravated Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs), who are ‘deprived of’ proper resting facilities at major railway stations by the authorities, will take out a unique protest programme - scores of TTEs will boycott the restrooms at Palakkad Junction, Shoranur Junction, Kannur and Mangalore Junction and lie down on the platforms to ease off instead.
Speaking to TNIE, members of the Joint Action Council said, TTEs are not even provided neat restrooms, adequate beds and clean washrooms. “In most of the restrooms, nearly double the number of TTEs are compelled to share the bed space at a time. There is no adequate and clean resting space even for women TTEs, who comprise 30 per cent of the total workforce now,” a JASC member said.
The JAC comprises the trade unions Railway Ticket Checking Staff Organisation, Employees Sangh, Mazdoor Union, Southern Railway Employees Union and Ticket Examiners Welfare Forum. The protest programme will start at the railway stations simultaneously at 10 am.
The TTEs alleged that they are already under tremendous pressure to examine as many as five compartments during a single duty and collect the maximum fine amount from ticketless or law-flouting passengers. “We feel completely exhausted after our duty. At the same time, we are deprived of the basic facilities as per the circular issued by the Railway Board over a decade ago,” said a TTE, requesting not to be named.
Meanwhile, while hearing a separate petition, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) filed a case against the Railways for not providing enough facilities for women TTEs to rest after work. The SHRC directed the Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs) of both Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad divisions to submit a report after examining the complaint in detail within 30 days. The SHRC acting chairperson and judicial member K Baijunath, while considering the complaint given by the DREU (Palakkad) divisional secretary V Sujith, said that the case will be considered at the commission’s sitting in Palakkad in June. It is mentioned in the complaint that the Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad railway division authorities are not providing facilities to TTEs as prescribed by the Railway Board a decade ago.