Railway running staff strike halts train services nationwide
The running staff of Bangladesh Railway have begun their pre-announced work abstention programme due to unresolved issues concerning the inclusion of their running allowance with their basic salary for pension and gratuity benefits.
As a result, the staff did not board trains scheduled to depart from Kamalapur railway station in Dhaka after 12:00 am on Tuesday, causing all trains to remain stationary at the starting stations. The running staff includes train drivers, guards, and ticket checkers.
On Monday night, the running staff said that all passengers on trains departing from the starting stations before 11:59 pm would be safely transported to their destinations. However, once these trains reach their destination stations, the staff will begin their strike.
Earlier, a press release signed by Md Mojibur Rahman, General Secretary of the Railway Running Staff and Workers Union, stated that while the appointment letter mentioned that running staff would be entitled to running allowances in accordance with the Railway Establishment Code Volume, it further stated that the amount of monthly running allowance would not exceed the basic salary. However, there is no limit to the entitlement of running allowance in the Railway Establishment Code Volume. According to the law, running allowance is entitled based on the work performed, with no set cap.
The release further stated that there is no scope for imposing arbitrary conditions in Bangladesh Railway. The Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Railways, and Bangladesh Railway are all governed by the laws of Bangladesh. It is illegal to follow some parts of the law while disregarding others.
The press release demanded the cancellation of discriminatory conditions, stating that if the discriminatory terms in the appointment letters of newly recruited running staff and the letter issued by the Ministry of Finance on January 23, which contradicts Railway Law, are not revoked and an order is not issued in line with the Railway Code and regulations, the running staff will be forced to go on an indefinite strike starting from January 28.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Railways has called for the withdrawal of the strike action announced by the running staff. In a public notice issued by the Ministry's Public Relations Officer, Rezaul Karim Siddiqui, it was stated that Bangladesh Railways and the Ministry of Railways are fully committed to addressing the demands and concerns of the running staff. The Ministry of Railways has already sent the staff’s demands to the Ministry of Finance and is maintaining ongoing communication and bilateral discussions on the matter.
