Privatisation bid in railway departments decried

KOCHI: The Southern Railway Mazdoor Union is strongly opposing the railway managements’ move to privatise the signalling and telecommunications sector of the Railways.“Privatisation of most of the departments in the Railways have led to the decrease in quality of our Railways. We will not sacrifice the lives of our passengers by allowing the Railways to outsource the signalling and telecommunications department too,” Southern Railways Mazdoor Union divisional secretary S Gopikrishna said at the SRMU/AIRF meeting held on Friday.The SRMU said that no additional post for the signalling and telecommunications sector has been set up by the Railways despite the advancing technological systems. Most of our people are overburdened. At present, there are only one or two S and T workers where at least five employees are supposed to be working. “The Railways should create additional posts to ensure the safety of passengers. All existing S and T vacancies should filled up instead of privatising the sector.” The union also demanded round-the-clock shift duty at different signalling stations and appointments to Blacksmith, Tinker, Motor mechanic and carpenter posts.The SRMU took out a protest rally in the South railway station on Friday.