JOIN USAddressing the protesters, AILRSA Branch Secretary P Jegesan said that the hours of employment regulation of British Railways is still in force with 13 hours of duty at a stretch and six continuous night duty in a week. This unscientific working hours result in accidents, he said pointing out that the loco pilot of Sainthia accident workdc for five days continuously when the accident occurred. The union Government had ordered a judicial review committee to study the issue in 2006. The Railway Board did not constitute the committee even after four years and instead of that an administrative committee was formed to dilute the issue, he charged.
He said that there are 14,000 vacancies of loco pilots in Indian Railways. The officials, who are vested with power of recruiting train operating staff are not keen on appointing loco pilots. “Hence, we demand the government to entrust the Commissioner of Railway Safety to assess the sanctioned strength of safety cadre and fill up vacancies. A Judicial Review Committee should also be constituted,” he said.