On 25th August 2015, the employees of central railway went on a hunger strike for an entire day in Mumbai. This strike was against the Railway Board’s recent Yatri Ticket Suvidha Kendra Scheme. Around 50 employees of the different groups with the other staff like the commercial and running gave up food under the sign of CRMS (Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh). This strike took place at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. The act was done to oppose The YTSK scheme, which enables agents to make ticket booking and they can apply additional fee charges on the fare.
The CRMS has referred to this strike as an unnecessary action and also said that it was exploiting passengers. The employees have made a demand to the board to change their decision. Currently, there is no update on how the board has reacted and if the employees are still on strike but as on the day, they were adamant on their decision.
The CRMS President, R P Bhatnagar had stated that this act is a defilement of the Contract Labour Act, 1970. He also added that due to the corruption in all the departments in the India Railways and because of association dealing with the administration and secretive players, the railway has to adopt such ways of outsourcing.
Under the YTSK scheme, the operator will add a fee of around Rs. 30 for the sleeper class and around Rs. 40 for the A/C class. The CRMS President also told that this is a small amounted fare hike and that the operators will only make about Rs. 50,000 every day. The members of CRMS observed the same fast in places like Nagpur, Pune, Bhusawal and Solapur divisions yesterday.
The general secretary of the CRMS, Praveen Bajpayee had stated that, the rail administration is not targeting passengers or the railway staff by any means. He also said that the money earned by the private players must have already gone in the railway’s coffer. He supported the strike act and said that there is no assurance that passengers won’t be overcharged.
“The problem will be given consideration if it is put in front of the correct authority at the right time,” said a senior CR official.
Since the rail sector is coming up with a lot of developments, there could be a chance of hikes in the prices.