Railway strike: What strikers want, what authorities say

Train operations have been suspended since midnight on Monday due to a strike by railway workers.Shuvro Kanti Das

Employees involved in train operations usually work overtime and receive additional allowances accordingly.

Under the practice, which dates back to the British era, their salaries are calculated as if they worked for two months or more, even though the work is completed within a single month. Also, the employees used to receive additional post-retirement benefits in accordance with their additional work.

However, the train operations have now come to a halt due to uncertainty of these special benefits. Since midnight on Monday, railway workers, who are known as running staff, have gone on strike, inflicting immense sufferings on the commuters. 

According to sources, the complications began in 2022 when the finance ministry announced the discontinuation of certain additional benefits provided to the railway running staff. Later, they got some of the benefits reinstated through negotiations with the authorities. 

They are now demanding a complete restoration of their benefits and have called the strike to create pressure on the authorities. Efforts to solve the issue through discussions remained unsuccessful until Tuesday afternoon. 

Running staff include loco masters, assistant loco masters, guards, and travelling ticket examiners (TTEs). They all, particularly the locomasters, are essential for operating trains as there are no alternatives against them. 

Hence, the authorities have no scope to go tough on the strike, rather than being compassionate with their demands. However, the running staff alleged that the railways ministry is not doing enough to convince the finance ministry and meet the demands. 

What are the demands? 

There are around 1,900 running staff in the railway, with slightly over 1,000 being loco masters and assistant loco masters. 

Historically, the running staff received additional pay, known as mileage in railway, for working beyond an eight-hour shift. For example, running trains for a 100-kilometer stretch after regular duty-time would earn them an additional amount equal to their one-day basic pay. As per eight-hour duty time, the monthly workload of railway running staff becomes equal to two and a half months or three months. 

Also, their post-retirement benefits were calculated by adding 75 per cent of their basic pay. On 3 November, 2021, the finance ministry limited these benefits and decided that employees hired after the date would receive reduced benefits compared to their senior colleagues. 

After 2022, the authorities incorporated two additional terms in the appointment letters of the railway staff – there will be no other benefits than the running allowances and the monthly running allowances will never be higher than the particular employees’  one-month basic. Besides, post-retirement benefits will be calculated solely on the last basic pay.

Senior running staff first demanded restoration of their benefits and later persuaded the new recruits to join them. The initial protests were under the banner of Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Workers Union, while the current strike is being implemented under the banner of Bangladesh Railway Staff Unity Council. 

At a press conference on 22 January, the running staff demanded the reinstatement of pension and gratuity based on mileage earnings and the withdrawal of restrictive clauses from appointment letters. They threatened to halt train services from 28 January if their demands were not met.

The railways secretary, Fahimul Islam, invited the protesters in a meeting on Monday, but the latter insisted on meeting the demands first. In further developments, the railway high ups held multiple meetings with the running staff until midnight on Monday, but no resolution was reached. 

Earlier, a worker strike halted train operations across the country on 13 April, 2022. The strike was called off after the railway authorities assured of meeting the demands. In the following years, the running staff raised the demands and the railway authorities held meetings with the finance ministry on different occasions. But nothing worked at all.

Saidur Rahman, convener of the running staff unity council’s Dhaka division unit, told Prothom Alo that the secretaries of both the railways and finance ministries must commit to resolving the issue within seven days for them to withdraw the strike.

Railway authorities’ perspective

According to railway sources, the finance ministry initially canceled all special benefits for running staff, arguing that no other government employees receive such allowances. 

The railway authorities countered, citing that they operate trains round the clock and the running staff work accordingly, with no regular weekend. They also noted that other specialised sectors, including the military, receive additional benefits. 

In response, the finance ministry reinstated the mileage benefit, but kept the other restrictions in place. Railway sources said they are sincere about meeting the running staff’s demand and have tried their best to convince the finance ministry. 

Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the railways ministry, visited the Kamalapur railway station in the morning on Tuesday. He told the media that the issue of meeting the demands lies with the finance division. 

“We have raised the issue with the finance division, and they fulfilled the demands to a significant extent. If necessary, we will discuss with them further over the remaining issues, he said, urging the running staff to call off their strike.