Railway running staff to go on strike on 28 August

The drivers, guards and ticket checkers on trains – called railway running staff – will go on strike from 28 August, demanding to reinstate their mileage allowance.

The programme was announced in an emergency meeting of the Railway Running Staff and Workers' Association at its office in Chattogram on Tuesday (1 August), said a press release.

Railway running staff used to get a special overtime allowance, equal to one day's basic salary, for operating every 100 miles, or every 8 hours they work, in addition to their prescribed duty. Apart from this, 75% of their basic salary was added to their retirement pay. 

Md Mojibur Rahman, general secretary of the association, said, the railway running staff have been getting this benefit for 160 years, but the Ministry of Finance refused to provide this facility in a letter on 3 November 2021. 

"Later, in the face of protests, the railway minister, along with high-ranking officials of the Bangladesh Railways, assured to fulfil our demands. On 13 April last year, the finance ministry withdrew the letter when train services were stopped across the country due to our strike," he said.

"On 11 June this year, the Director General of Railways gave instructions to provide the allowances and pension as before. But the Ministry of Finance objected to this in a letter on 18 June."