7,000 railway temporary workers lose jobs, service to be outsourced

• 6,829 temporary workers recruited in the last decade
• Total number of workers is 24,933 which is 48% less than needed
• On 23 January this year, authorities decided to lay off the temporary workers
• Decision was taken to conduct new recruitment through outsourcing
• Temporary workers are still working without any payment for 5 months
• They are told to continue till 31 December this year
• No progress in new recruitment through outsourcing

Around 7,000 temporary workers in the Bangladesh Railways are living in extreme uncertainty as they have been working for the last five months without any payment since July after the authorities decided to terminate their jobs and outsource the service.

According to sources, some 6,829 workers have been recruited by the railways under the temporary labour recruitment (TLR) policy in the last 10 years. Including them, the department currently has 24,933 workers, which is 48% less than needed.

On 23 January this year, at a revised budget coordination meeting of the railways ministry, the authorities decided to lay off the temporary workers, effective from 30 June. They also adopted a plan to recruit new workers through outsourcing.

However, the temporary workers were told to continue working till 31 December despite their jobs being terminated as the authorities could not start the outsourcing process. But the workers have not been paid since last July.

According to railway sources, the authorities have secured the verbal approval of the higher officials of the railways for a budget to pay these workers till 31 December. It is still uncertain when they will be paid.

Delowar Hossain (45), a temporary worker of the East Zone, Bangladesh Railway, was laid off on 30 June. But he is still working under the verbal commitment of the authorities.

He said the temporary workers of the railways generally get a salary of Tk500-Tk575 per day depending on the category.

"But we have not been paid for the last five months despite working every day. The railway officials are not even noticing our crisis. If I finally lose my job at this age, I will have no other way but committing suicide," he told The Business Standard.

Labour leaders alleged that the labour recruitment (TLR) policy has been cancelled to adopt outsourcing for manpower recruitment to make a way to take bribes from the contractors.

Mohammad Hossain, member secretary of the Temporary Labour Association of Railways, said, "Bangladesh Railways never had the outsourcing system. The temporary workers are living in extreme mental turmoil with the fear of being unemployed permanently."

Railway officials said that recruiting manpower through outsourcing after terminating the experienced workers will jeopardise the services.

Sardar Sahadat Ali, additional director general (operations) of Bangladesh Railways, told The Business Standard, "The railways already have a shortage of manpower. The process of recruitment through outsourcing has not started yet. Moreover, it is still unclear who will source the workers. In this situation, the normal operation of the railway will be disturbed due to the dismissal of a large number of temporary workers."

Echoing similar feelings, Md Jahangir Hossain, general manager of East Zone of Bangladesh Railways, and Asim Kumar Talukder, general manager of West Zone, said that the dismissal of the experienced and skilled workers will disrupt the day-to-day operations of the railways.

Most of the temporary workers work in the workshop, mechanical and signal electrical sector, transportations, gate keepings, operating management etc and as porters.

Former Director General of the Railways DN Majumdar sent a letter to the secretary of the ministry of railways on 13 June expressing concern for the decision to off temporary workers.

The letter reads, "If the outsourcing system is adopted in the Bangladesh Railways, which is a specialised and technical department, the smooth and safe operation of trains may be disrupted and the government's interests may be compromised."

Advocate Humayun Kabir, president of the Railway Sramik League, said, "We have been saying from the beginning that we do not want outsourcing for the sake of the interests of railways and humanitarian considerations. Hiring workers through outsourcing will create chaos."

Md Kamrul Ahsan, director general of Bangladesh Railways, told TBS, "The decision of outsourcing is taken by the government. Recruiting manpower through outsourcing will take another two to three months. We will try to continue till then with the temporary workers. In case of new recruitment, we will prioritise the old workers."