Nationwide Train Services Disrupted as Railway Staff Go on Strike

Rtv News

28 Jan 2025, 09:31

Photo: Collected

Train operations across the country came to a standstill as the running staff of Bangladesh Railway began a strike on Monday (January 27) at midnight, demanding the fulfillment of several demands, including the inclusion of retirement benefits with their salaries. As part of the strike, the running staff refrained from boarding scheduled trains after 12 a.m., causing no trains to depart from their originating stations.

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The running staff includes train drivers, guards, and ticket checkers.

The situation was confirmed after midnight by Saeedur Rahman, General Secretary of the Dhaka Divisional Committee of the Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Workers Union. He stated, "We have not received any decisions from the railway headquarters. We remain firm on our decision to halt train operations."

An official at a station reported that trains scheduled before midnight are still departing, but no trains scheduled after midnight have left.

According to the running staff, the trains that were supposed to depart from the originating stations after midnight did not leave, causing significant inconvenience to passengers of those trains.

Despite the Ministry of Railways urging the withdrawal of the strike, the Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Workers Union remains resolute in their demands.

Sources within the railway revealed that, as per regulations, a running staff member (driver, assistant driver, guard, or ticket checker) is entitled to 12 hours of rest at their headquarters or 8 hours at an outer station after duty. If running staff are assigned work during their rest period for the railway's benefit, they are compensated with additional allowances, known as "mileage" benefits.

On November 3, 2021, the Ministry of Finance issued a letter to the Ministry of Railways to limit the mileage benefit. The letter proposed capping the unlimited mileage benefit to the equivalent of 30 working days. Additionally, it excluded allowances received with the basic salary from being added to pensions or gratuities, which angered the running staff.

For over three years, the running staff have been protesting to reinstate their mileage benefits. They have organized various programs, including refraining from extra duties. However, they stepped back from their protests multiple times following assurances from senior railway officials, including the former Director General, the Railway Secretary, and the Railway Minister.

In response to further inquiries from the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Finance reaffirmed its stance on January 23, 2025. The Finance Ministry stated that the provisions in its letter issued on August 21, 2022, would remain unchanged, and allowances for running staff would be regulated as per the Railway Establishment Code. The letter clarified that running allowances would be the sole entitlement for duties performed on moving trains, and the monthly allowance should not exceed the basic salary.

This decision further infuriated the running staff, who questioned, "Why should we work beyond 8 hours if we are not paid for it? We all work for money. If we don't get paid for overtime, why would we continue working?"

The Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Workers Union emphasized that for nearly 160 years, 75% of the mileage allowance was added to the basic salary for determining pensions post-retirement. However, in 2020, the mileage allowance, historically considered part of the salary, was moved to the travel allowance category, violating codified railway rules and creating complications. On November 3, 2021, the Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance objected to including the mileage allowance in pension and gratuity calculations.

The union further noted that in response to a letter from the Ministry of Finance on April 4, 2022, the running staff went on strike on April 10, bringing train operations to a halt nationwide. The Finance Ministry subsequently withdrew the letter on April 13, 2022. The then-Railway Minister assured a quick resolution to the issue in a press briefing at Dhaka Railway Station. Following this, on June 11, 2023, the then-Director General of the Railway explicitly instructed the inclusion of the mileage allowance in pensions and gratuity benefits. However, on June 18, 2023, the Finance Ministry raised objections again, leaving the running staff frustrated and disappointed.

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