Train services likely to be suspended from Tuesday

Railway running staff and workers have threatened to suspend train services across the country from Tuesday (January 28). They have made this threat demanding that the running staff be given 'part of pay' running allowance in accordance to the Railway Code and rules and regulations by cancelling the letter issued by the Finance Ministry recently.

The warning was given in a letter signed by the General Secretary of the Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Workers Union, Mojibur Rahman, sent to the Director General of Bangladesh Railway on Sunday (January 26).

It said that the letter issued by the Finance Ministry on January 23 is in conflict with the Railway Establishment Code and other railway laws. The Railway Establishment Code is adopted and effective by the Bangladesh Adaptation Act issued in 1972. The Government Employees (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018 issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on April 12, 2018 states that the Railway Establishment Code is applicable to railway employees.

The letter further states that although the said letter amends the terms of appointment letter and states that the running staff will be entitled to running allowance as per the Railway Establishment Code volume, it has been further stated that the monthly running allowance will not exceed the basic salary payable. There is no limit on the entitlement of running allowance in the Railway Establishment Code volume, as much as they work, they will get running allowance as per the law.

It is further stated that the Railway Establishment Code also provides for entitlement of running allowance in respect of earned leave and some other cases in addition to running trains. The empowered authorities have made various rules and regulations as per the needs of the time, which are still in force. According to the Railway Establishment Code, 75 percent running allowance is part of the salary of the running staff. For ages, pensions and gratuities have been provided by adding 75 percent running allowance to the basic salary of the running staff as part of their salary. This has been recognized by the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Auditor General and the Comptroller and Auditor General at various times.

The letter sent to the Railway DG also said that the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Railways, and Bangladesh Railways are all regulated by the laws of Bangladesh. We will accept some parts of the law, we will not accept some parts, it is illegal to do anything like this. As an organization governed by government laws and regulations, there is no scope for imposing fabricated conditions on Bangladesh Railways.

Therefore, if all objections to the payment of pension and gratuity to the running staff along with part of pay and running allowance are withdrawn by Monday (January 27), the discriminatory conditions 12 and 13 of the appointment letters of the newly appointed running staff and the Ministry of Finance's letter conflicting with the Railway Act are not cancelled and an order is issued in the light of the Railway Code and rules and regulations, all the running staff will be forced to observe an indefinite work stoppage from next Tuesday (January 28).

Meanwhile, a meeting is scheduled to be held at the Railway Bhavan on Monday (January 27) under the chairmanship of the Railway Secretary to determine the next course of action in this regard.