About 90% railways workers have opted for strike in the strike ballot taken by the All India Railwaymens’ Federation (AIRF), which is the biggest and recognised union.
The strike is being planned on the demands of wage revision, filling up of the more than one lakh vacancies, rescinding of the new pension scheme which is detrimental to the interest of workers etc.
There are about 13 lakh workers in Railways, which is the biggest
employer in the country. A strike by the railway workers will have serious implication for the country.
The historical strike of the railway workers in 1974 on the demand of Bonus and other issues paralysed the government which took drastic, inhuman measures to suppress the strike. The demand of Bonus was granted by the Janatha Government.