Railway employees to join nationwide strike

IN SOLIDARITY: Railway employees under the banner of the Southern Railway Mazdoor Sangh and All India Railwaymen Federation taking out a march to the Divisional Railway Office in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday to drum up support for the indefinite strike by Central government employees that begins on July 11.MR. KANNIAH SAID THE AGITATION WAS NOT ONLY FOR SETTLING WAGE DISPARITIES BUT ALSO TO HIGHLIGHT THE ANTI-LABOUR POLICIES AND THE DECISIONS TO PRIVATISE RAILWAYS, DEFENCE, AND POSTAL WINGS.Around 40 lakh railway employees will join the postal, defence and other Central government employees in the indefinite strike from July 11, working president of All India Railwaymen Federation (AIRF) N. Kanniah has said.Against privatisationAddressing a dharna organised by the Southern Railway Mazdoor Sangh in front of the Divisional Railway Office here to drum up support for the July 11 stir, Mr. Kanniah said the agitation was not only for settling wage disparities but also to highlight the anti-labour policies and the decisions to privatise Railways, defence, and postal wings.Fare hike likelyIf the decisions are not reversed, Mr. Kanniah said, freight and passenger fare will increase in Railways. The poor man will be made to suffer by multinational and private companies.Lack of job security will create a serious social imbalance and upset social justice, he added.Notice givenThe AIRF leader said the union had already issued a strike notice to the General Manager, Southern Railway, on June 9.Train services to be hitThe strike will affect train movement, he said.C.S. Prasannakumar, Assistant General Secretary, SRMU; S. Gopikrishna, Divisional Secretary, SRMU; P. Unnikrishnan, Divisional President, SRMU, were present.Source : http://www.thehindu.com/