Loco pilots of the Indian Railways are demanding a work-hour cap to prevent fatigue and potential railway accidents. The loco pilots have pointed towards the ongoing IndiGo Airlines to emphasise the growing need for restrictions.
The Indian Railways loco pilots, as per the Hindu, are already unhappy with the continued loco pilot vacancies. Additionally, the employees have asked for improved labour reforms, including rational duty hours and scientific roster planning.
The All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) issued a statement, criticising the Central Government for relaxing the guidelines pertaining to the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) and the Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS). The union wondered why the private airlines were shown leniency while the government took a tougher approach with government employees.
“Whether in the skies or on the rails, crew fatigue directly translates into dangers to passenger safety. Regulations based on modern sleep science are not mere ‘union demands’ to skip from duty, but they are demands of ‘safety standards,’” AILRSA stated. P.N. Soman, central working committee member, AILRSA, told The Hindu how AILRSA has been demanding better conditions for nearly a year now to no avail.
“We have been holding protests, marches, and strikes over the years demanding a scientifically-designed working atmosphere for the loco pilots, including a maximum of two continuous night duties, rational duty hours aligned with human physiology, proper and adequate rest after every duty and weekly rest, and roster planning based on sleep science, etc. Further, the railways have reduced the eligibility of weekly rest (periodic rest of 30 hours) to 48 from 52 in a year. This periodic rest even consists of 16 hours of daily rest after the work,” said Soman.
AILRSA added how worker agitations in public-sector units are routinely met with disciplinary action, chargesheets, or suppression under various “black rules,” which are often justified in the name of public convenience or essential services. Conversely, the AILRSA said in a statement, as per News18, that “when large private corporations resist safety regulations,” the government “kneels” and compromises on even system safety.
The union added that the issues currently hampering the aviation industry are a reflection of concerns that loco pilots have been voicing for a long time and have been seeking scientifically designed duty schedules for decades.
AILRSA added that fatigue-management norms used around the world are based on extensive research and past safety incidents. They pointed towards the strict duty and rest limits set by the European Union, mandatory off-duty periods under America’s Hours of Service Act, and the use of advanced biomathematical models in Australia and Canada to highlight the same.
Ultimately, AILRSA is asking the Railways to adopt an FRMS-based work-hour system. This will include a six-hour daily duty limit, predictable rest schedules, 16 hours of rest after each shift, and weekly rest in addition to daily rest.
