Motormen gear up for showdown in February

MUMBAI, January 12: In an attempt to make their relay hunger strike a success, suburban motormen from the Central and Western Railways are s...

MUMBAI, January 12: In an attempt to make their relay hunger strike a success, suburban motormen from the Central and Western Railways are seeking support from locomotive drivers and assistant drivers from all over the country urging them to join their agitation.

Hectic efforts are on to seek nationwide support for the agitation scheduled for February 9, 10 and 11 in and around Mumbai. Senior office bearers of the Motormens’ Joint Action Forum – a body constituted to represent suburban motormen on both the railways – said locomotive drivers from Kalyan and Igatpuri have decided to join the motormen in the relay hunger strike.

“About five loco drivers from the railway divisions around Mumbai will be on a hunger strike at any given time from the announced date,” said an office bearer. Said S V Hardikar, convenor of the forum, “We expect support from drivers and motormen across the Indian Railways. We will make this agitation a success.” The motormen’s fraternity has been neglected as far as pay scales are concerned, he said.

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Expressing dissatisfaction on the stand taken by the Railway Board over the contentious issue of revision of pay scales of railway employees, Hardikar said the administration, Railway Ministry and Union government have turned a Nelson’s eye toward motormen who operate the `lifeline’ of Mumbai. Railway officials themselves are sending out conflicting messages on the possible impact and the success of the planned agitation.

They further said the motormen were going it alone on the relay hunger strike, and that they were not being supported by any of the recognised unions. “It is surprising that a powerful union like the Western Railway Employees’ Union (WREU) is not supporting the strike,” said an official.

However, office bearers of the forum dismissed the official’s claims, stating that the WREU was not publicly extending its support to the agitation, and that the agitating motormen include members of unions other than the WREU.