Online Desk  :   Plans to inaugurate the Padma Bridge rail link project at the previously- announced date have been derailed due to a strike by the Bangladesh Railway’s running staff. The 172-kilometre railway line, which promised to significantly cut travel times and bolster connectivity across the country, remains in limbo despite final preparations for its launch. On Monday morning, members of the Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Workers and Employees Union began a strike demanding the restoration of mileage allowances, payment of pensions, and gratuities. On Sunday, Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Workers, Employees Union General Secretary Md Mojibur Rahman sent a letter to the railway director general about the strike.

In November, the Padma Bridge rail link was scheduled for inauguration on Dec 2. The railway link is expected to reduce travel time by approximately three-and-a-half hours between Dhaka and the Jashore-Khulna route, and by four hours on the Jashore-Benapole route, significantly enhancing transportation efficiency. Railway Director General and Padma Bridge Rail Link Project Director Afzal Hossain told bdnews24.com: “The Padma Rail Link Project is not being inaugurated today. Firstly, the time schedule has not been made yet. Secondly, the deployment has not been completed. Another reason is that we have an ongoing crisis. The running staff have gone on strike for mileage allowance.”

“Due to their protest, our train services have been disrupted.” “We cannot start operations until their problems are resolved,” he added. According to a railway staff, the train drivers, co-drivers, directors, and ticket inspectors got special financial benefits until December 2021 following the Railways Act, 1832. Mileage – a special financial benefit – compensated them for extended working hours—often 15 to 18 hours a day, far exceeding the standard eight-hour workday. It is a part of the salary of the running staff.

A railway staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, told bdnews24.com: “The calculation of mileage is that for every 100 kilometres of train run, the running staff will receive an additional amount of money, which is equivalent to one day’s basic salary. If a working day is defined as an eight-hour shift, the running staff work the equivalent of two to two-and-a-half months of working days in a single month. Their salaries are also paid in the same way. In addition, they are given an additional 75 percent of their pension higher than the basic salary, along with the retirement allowance.”

This benefit availed by railway workers was cancelled by the finance ministry in January 2022. Since then, members of the Bangladesh Railway Running Staff have been protesting. In his letter to the Director General of Railways, Mojibur wrote: “If the Finance Ministry’s cancellation of Part of Pay Running Allowance is not scrapped by Dec 31, the running staff will not do eight hours of additional duty from Dec 1, as part of their preliminary programme.”

“They will not do duty under rest (rest period). During this time, the railways locomasters, assistant locomasters, and sub-locomasters will go on strike.” The letter also stated: “Two clauses of the assistant locomasters’ appointment letters should be removed and the salary structure and ancillary benefits should be increased in line with railway employees working in the same grade.”