Railway running staff stage hunger strike seeking redressal of their problems

Loco Pilots (LPs) and Assistant Loco Pilots (ALPs), affiliated with the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA), staged a hunger strike near the DRM’s office here on Tuesday. The protest, called by the association’s central working committee, sought redressal of long-pending service-related issues.

Holding banners and placards, the protesters raised slogans in support of their demands. Their key demands include an increase in the 25% kilometrage allowance exemption from Income Tax, expediting the recruitment and training of ALPs, ensuring that running staff are not kept away from headquarters for more than 48 hours, and limiting night duty to two consecutive nights.

They also raised several local grievances of the Waltair Division, including utilisation of LPs for 12-hour duties, granting only 12 hours of trip rest instead of the prescribed 16 hours, and bypassing designated headquarters or relief points at Simhachalam North and Vizianagaram under the pretext of crew underutilisation or yard congestion.

CITU State general secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao and district general secretary R.K.S.V. Kumar joined the protest and expressed solidarity with the striking staff.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Narasinga Rao demanded the withdrawal of the Centre’s four Labour Codes, alleging that they were anti-worker and tilted in favour of managements and industrialists.

AILRSA zonal president S.K. Choubey, central vice president B.V.S.V. Raju, joint divisional secretary T.H. Krishna, branch secretary M. Chinnodu, and R.V.S.S. Rao, zonal president of East Coast RSU, also addressed the protesters.