Crisis looms over rail services as running staff set to begin strike today over allowance 

A major disruption looms for rail travellers across the country as Bangladesh Railway's running staff remain firm in their decision to begin an indefinite strike this morning, demanding the restoration of allowances cancelled two years ago.

The railway ministry convened a meeting based on the running staff's concerns and input from the finance ministry. However, the staff refused to attend the meeting yesterday, maintaining their firm stance.

"We rejected the railway ministry's meeting invitation, and none of our members attended it," Md Mojibur Rahman, general secretary of the Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Workers' Association, told The Business Standard last evening.

"We learned that our demands will not be met and that we'll be asked for more time. As a result, we will halt train services starting Tuesday, and our strike will continue," he added.

A source at the railway ministry told TBS, "We invited the running staff for discussions, but they refused to engage."

The source emphasised, "This issue must be resolved through dialogue, as we cannot act outside the finance ministry's framework. However, if train services are disrupted, resulting in public inconvenience, strict action will be taken."

Seeking anonymity, an official of the railways' operations department warned, "If the workers responsible for train operations do not report for duty, services will be halted, causing significant disruption for passengers."

Bangladesh Railway has been under pressure for years as it has not received approval for essential allowances for running staff, including locomasters and guards, which were withheld by the Finance Division in 2022. 

Despite ongoing efforts, the issue remains unresolved, leading to multiple strikes and disruptions in rail services. Staff, including locomasters, assistant locomasters and sub-locomasters, typically work 15 to 18 hours a day, with the allowances forming part of their salary, said Mojibur Rahman. 

Since the cancellation of this benefit in January 2022, the Railway Running Staff Unity Council has continued protesting, but their demands remain unmet, he added.

After several unsuccessful attempts, the director general of Bangladesh Railway wrote to the railway ministry on 30 December 2024, urging action on the running staff's demands. 

The ministry forwarded the letter to the finance ministry the same day, highlighting the point that while mileage entitlements were granted to carriage attendants in November 2021, long-standing benefits for running staff, including locomasters and guards, were revoked or reduced. 

The letter, a copy of which was seen by TBS, emphasised that running allowances, previously part of the salary for pension and gratuity calculations, were eliminated by the finance ministry's decision in November 2021, with no resolution despite repeated attempts.

This has led to widespread discontent among field-level running employees of Bangladesh Railway, who have gone on strike several times. Although high-level meetings were held, no decisions were reached, causing intense dissatisfaction. As a result, the running employees announced an indefinite strike starting 28 June 2023.

A meeting with all stakeholders was held on 29 August 2023. At its conclusion, the Cabinet Secretary decided that the running allowance, pension and additional benefits received by the Railway Running Staff under the Railway Establishment Rules are valid according to the law and will continue as before, according to sources. 

Despite the unanimous decision, no notification has been issued by the finance ministry, leading to severe disappointment, anger and dissatisfaction among the running staff. 

This has resulted in the dismissal of many newly recruited assistant locomasters Grade-2 employees and created a serious crisis in train operations. Currently, there is a significant shortage of running staff in the railway, with approximately 50% of positions vacant.

Due to the unresolved issue of mileage discrimination, newly appointed running staff went on strike from 1 December 2024, causing severe disruptions to train services. 

After discussions, it was agreed that the long-standing complications related to pension and mileage would be resolved by 31 December 2024, leading the running staff to suspend their strike. 

However, the railway letter warns that if the issues are not resolved by 27 January, train services could face further disruptions.

Al Fattah Masudur Rahman, additional director general of Bangladesh Railway, told TBS, "We agree and support the staff's deserved allowances and benefits. They are entitled to these. However, it's a long-term issue, as approving allowances does not solely depend on the railway directorate or ministry. We must convince the government on this matter."

He emphasised, "The finance ministry is responsible for approving financial benefits, but it treats it as a routine issue, putting us under pressure."

Rahman added, "From the start, we have been urging the agitating staff to remain patient and allow us to secure government approval, but how long can we keep them waiting? The Finance Division should take this matter seriously."