Railway workers resume duties after payment of salaries

The train drivers of Pakistan Railways have called off a strike after being given their salaries.

The employees had earlier protested over the non-payment of their salaries and had blocked a train at the Cantt Railway station in Peshawar.

The divisional superintendent negotiated with protestors and assured them that their salaries would be paid.

Train employees of Lahore railway station had also gone on strike over the same issue. Passengers travelling by major express trains were stranded at the City railway station for hours after workers of the Railways Loco Shed went on strike in protest against non-payment of their salaries.

The worst affected were passengers of the Tezgam, Jaffer Express, Karachi Express and the Karakoram Express besides the Rawalpindi-bound railcar.

Officials manning the inquiry desk at the railway station were also unable to give them a definite departure time.

Passengers held a protest at the station against the authorities and chanted slogans against the Railways minister.

Azhar Hussain, a passenger who was trying to catch a Rawalpindi-bound train, told The Express Tribune that in the dispute between the Railways authorities and workers, it was the passengers who were suffering. “I had reserved my seat in advance to save time and to avoid any inconvenience but now I have no option but to wait until the end of the strike,” he said.

Loco Shed workers usually get their salaries by the 15th of every month. Since November 14 was a Sunday, the salaries could not be transferred to the employees’ accounts.

Zahid Bilal, one of the protesting workers, said, “I have served in railways for 12 years. It is sad that the authorities have not paid us our salaries in time for Eid.” He said that most of the officers get their salaries on the first day of every month but the workers had to wait for more than two weeks every month.

Railways Lahore division, additional general manager (Traffic), chief commercial manager and an officer of the finance wing held negotiations with the protesters who ended their strike after assurances that they would get their salaries by noon on Tuesday. The staff resumed their duties after five hours.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2010.