Come July and we have a shocking news for you.

We were equally shocked too! If you have any plan to train travel in the coming month, it is time to take some precautionary measures, that is to say, fix a back up plan B.

1.3 million Indian Railways employees are all set to call for an indefinite strike starting July 11.

The reason behind the strike has been the government’s offhand response to the charter of demands submitted in December 2015. The strike has been called in response to the government’s ‘very disappointing and casual’ response to the charter of demands that was submitted in December 2015. The charter had nine demands including well-being, pension, and salaries of the railway employees. The demands of the NFIR include improving the minimum wage of Rs 26,000, among others.

Raghavaiah, General Secretary of the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR), said he was disappointed by the response of the government. As told by him, “Consequently, the organisations of the central government employees– Railways, Defence, Postal, Income Tax, Central Customs and Excise, etc., whose number is over 32 lakhs, have taken unanimous decision on 3rd June to go on indefinite strike from July 11”. He also added, “In terms of Section (22), sub-section (1) and Rule 71 of the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947, the affiliated unions of NFIR representing over 13 lakh Railway employees will be serving strike notice on the GMs of zonal railways and production units”.

The demands of the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen include the following:

• Ensure parity in pay structure,
• Stopp anti-worker amendments of labour laws,
• Scrap new pension scheme and restoring the old one,
• Improve the minimum wage of Rs. 26,000,
• Ensure payment of PL allowances at the rate of Rs 7,000 per month for the year 2014-15,
• Implement positive recommendations of the High Power Committee and scrap report of the Bibek Debroy Committee,
• Retain existing allowances and advances,
• Injustice done to railway employees like technicians, technical supervisors, etc. in terms of allotment of 7th CPC Pay Matrix levels and promotional scope should be done away with and justice be administered,
• Recall FDI notification of Government of India dated 22nd August, 2014 in construction, operation and maintenance of Indian Railways and scrap all the agreements entered with foreign companies as well as the National Companies which are detrimental to the interests of Railways.

You can find below the notice issued by NFIR: