Unions Slam Decision to Subsuming 16-Hour Daily Rest into 30-Hour Weekly Break
New Delhi, May 10 — A fierce protest has erupted across the Indian Railways as loco pilots and their unions voice strong opposition to the Railway Ministry's recent directive to count the mandatory 16-hour daily rest within the 30-hour weekly rest period for running staff.The decision, based on recommendations from a Railway Ministry-constituted committee, effectively reduces the total rest time for loco pilots from 46 hours to just 30 hours per week. This has triggered widespread discontent among the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) and other unions.
Railways Cites Facilities and Monitoring Measures
Officials from the Railway Ministry defended the move, highlighting recent improvements such as enhanced facilities in AC-equipped running rooms and train engines, real-time monitoring of working hours, and active recruitment to fill vacant posts. They emphasized that these measures were implemented in the interest of the running staff's welfare.However, unions argue that these changes do not justify curtailing rest hours, which are protected under existing labour laws and court rulings.
Unions Cite Legal Contradictions and ILO Norms
K C James, Secretary General of AILRSA, stated that the new rule contravenes the 2013 High-Powered Committee (HPC) recommendations that mandated a 40-hour minimum weekly rest. He pointed out that the Karnataka High Court and the Regional Labour Commissioner had earlier upheld the interpretation that daily rest and weekly rest are distinct and non-overlapping.“All employees, whether in government or private establishments, are entitled to a minimum 24 hours of weekly rest followed by daily rest. Loco pilots should be no exception,” James said. “Administrative staff often get 64 hours of rest over the weekend, yet running staff are now left with just 30.”
Disparity in Treatment for Running Staff
R Kumaresan, President of AILRSA (Southern Railway), questioned why the 16-hour daily rest is being merged into the weekly rest only for running staff.“Under the 2005 Railway Servants (Hours of Work and Period of Rest) Rules, both 16-hour daily rest and 30-hour weekly rest are mandated. Yet, running staff are now being denied their rightful daily rest under the pretext of it being included in the weekly break,” Kumaresan argued.
Unions insist that this violates International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions which treat daily and weekly rest as separate entitlements.
Questioning Railway Board’s Uniformity
James further challenged the Railway Board to apply the same rule across all railway departments. “Would they ask an office worker finishing duty at 5 PM on Saturday to return by 11 PM on Sunday to meet a 30-hour rest cycle? Clearly not. So why single out running staff?”The union has urged the Railway Ministry to revoke the order and reinstate the separate provisions for daily and weekly rest. They warned of intensified protests if their demands are not met.
The debate now places the spotlight on workers' rights within one of India’s most demanding and critical sectors.