RailEnquiry

Mumbai Central: The Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh (WRMS) has threatened to go on strike to pursue its long-spending demands. The Mazdoor Sangh has also decided to hold a secret ballot among members after four months on whether they should go on strike or not.

J G Mahurkar, general secretary of the WRMS and vice-president of National Federation of Indian Railwaymen, said that the steering committee of WRMS had met recently and decided to go on strike if their demands were not met. He further said that their demands include appointment of the seventh pay commission because dearness allowance was already 80% of the basic pay and inflation was galloping.

He further said that there was need for cadre restructuring of railway men for due promotion of three lakh employees. The railway minister is in consultation with the finance ministry and has already formed a committee for cadre restructuring, Mahurkar said.

He demanded entry grade of Rs 42,000 for station master and the abolition of the new pension scheme. The union leader further said that the railway ministry should rectify the anomalies of the sixth pay commission which are harming the operating staff and trackmen. Mahurkar also demanded that the ministry should enhance fixed medical allowance from Rs 300 to Rs 1000 for pensioners.