The present provisions of HOER, The changes demanded by AILRSA before HPC and recommendations of HPC
| S.No. | Subject | Existing Provisions of HOER | Changes demanded by AILRSA | Recommendation by High Power Committee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Total Duty at a stretch(Sign ON to Sign OFF) | 12hrs plus 1 hr(13hrs) and unlimited | 6hrs for LP(Mail)/LP(PASS) with 1hr.break for EMU and 7hrs for LP(Goods) | 11 hrs plus 1 hour (12hr) |
| 2. | Running duty at a stretch | 10hrs and 2 hrs may be extended | No distinguish in duty hours | 09hrs and 2 hrs may be extended and 8hrs Running duty for LP(M) |
| 3. | Spare travel | Not counted for duty at a stretch | Spare travel should be treated as duty | Spare travel is treated as duty |
| 4. | Classification | Continuous | Intensive | No change |
| 5. | Weekly/Fortnightly Duty hours limits | 104hrs.fortnightly / 90hrs for LP(M) superfast | Weekly average of 40 hrs | No change. Fortnightly averaging continues 104hrs. fortnightly / 90hrs for all LP(M)s |
| 6. | Headquarters Rest | 12hrs for duty of less than 8hrs.
16hrs for duty of more than 8hrs |
Not less than 16hrs plus 2 hrs/ Curtailed portion of rest at O/S should be given in addition to normal HQ rest. | 16hrs irrespective of duty performed. (variations permitted for Suburban services by zonal railways) |
| 7. | Periodical rest | Four periods of 30 hrs or 5 periods of 22hrs in a month | Four periods of 46 hours ie, PR is after HQ rest.. | Four periods of 40hrs in a month |
| 8. | Outstation rest | 8 hrs Rest after 8hrs or more duty
Equal to the hours of duty for less than 8hrs duty |
O/S rest uniformly 8hrs irrespective of duty performed.
Waiting hours at O/S should be counted as hours of employment |
8 hrs irrespective of duty performed. (variations permitted for Suburban services by zonal railways) |
| 9. | Absence from Headquarters | Shall not be more than 3 or 4 days at a stretch normally. (At present 36hours as per Rly.Bd.order) | Should be reduced to 36 hours maximum | Shall be fixed at 72hrs |
| 10. | Continuous Night Duties | Limited to six consecutive nights | Restrict consecutive night duties to two with an interval of 2 days between them. | shall be limited to two and 3rd night is with some conditions |
| 11. | OTA/ BRA | 1½ times of hourly rate after 104hrs and double the rate after 108hrs
No BRA for suburban and at O/S |
BRA shall be paid whenever rest is breached either at H/Q or at O/S and also for suburban services and shall be paid four times after weekly 40 hrs. OTA double the rate to have a check. | A maximum limit of 125hrs duty per fortnight. No change in rules for OTA/BRA. |
| 12. | Running Room | Subsidised meal by contract system
Staying facilities are poor |
The system prevailed earlier to cook for the individual’s choice to be restored.
“Three star” facilities with monitoring of worker/employer representatives. |
Fully subsidized meals should be served as in civil aviation sector.
A/C Running room. In metropolitan cities, a beginning may be made by providing 3/4 star hotel accommodation at outstation. |
| 13. | Holiday | Most of the Holidays could not be availed and meager allowance is paid | A wage equal to one day’s pay to be granted apart from granting Compensatory Rest in lieu of un-availed holidays. | No recommendation |
| 14. | Meal Break/Personal Need Break | No such provision is present. | Meal break time and personal need break time are to be allowed in the schedule as followed in many foreign railways. | No such recommendation in HOER but bio-toilet and waterless urinals to be provided in loco cab. |
| 15. | Resume from Leave/ Holiday | Authorities ask to resume duty at 00.00 hrs on the following day in some zone/division. | To be allowed to resume duty after availing any kind of leave or holiday, after 8 hours on the following day. | No recommendation |
| 16. | Crew Scheduling | For the majority of continuous classified worker in Railways duty rosters are framed basing on the guidelines prescribed in the HOER 2005. But no such guidelines for running staff even in rostered job. | There should be guidelines to prepare crew links or crew schedules which take care of human needs. In Goods service crew destination /crew beat has to be informed to the crew while they are called for duty. First In First Out basis in goods crew booking. | No recommendation |
| 17. | Emergency Clause | In the present Rules, there is a scope for misinterpretation by using emergency/exemption clause to the disadvantage of loco running staff. The staff are put to longer hours of working while invoking the clause. | It is most important to clearly define emergency/exemption clause to avoid hardship and exploitation inline with Foreign Railways which define this clause without any ambiguity. | No change in provisions and the present ambiguity continues. |
| 18. | Job analysis | No Job Analysis | Modernization has increased skill work, stress and strain of LRS manifold than earlier hence Job analysis must be done | Increased mental stress due to modernization has been accepted but job analysis has not been attempted. |
| 19. | Punishment | Minimum punishment of removal from service for SPAD | Capital punishment even for unintentional mistake (SPAD) to be reviewed. | Punishment to SPAD to be reviewed taking into account repercussions and past record of LP. |
Relentless yearlong efforts of AILRSA reflected in HPC report
Many recommendations, the demands of the unions(AILRSA, AIRF and NFIR) on duty hours, classification and stay away from h/q have not been accepted
We should continue our struggle to modify the recommendations on duty hours, classification and stay away from H/Q and for speedy implementation.