Retaliatory Action Against Locomotive Pilots: John Brittas MP Demands Reinstatement

New Delhi: CPI M Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas has written to the South Railway General Manager, urging that 12 locomotive pilots, transferred from the Palakkad division for participating in a railway strike, be reinstated to their previous stations.

While most punitive measures taken by various divisions under South Railway against employees who joined the strike have been withdrawn, it is concerning that only the transfers of these 12 locomotive pilots in Palakkad remain in force. This is especially notable given that there are currently several vacancies for mail locomotive pilots in the division.

Referring to a letter he sent on August 29, 2024, Brittas noted that it was welcome that actions against strike participants in other divisions, including Thiruvananthapuram and Salem, were ready to be fully withdrawn. However, despite the vacancies in the Palakkad division, retaliatory action against employees continues. Adopting a different approach only in Palakkad, he warned, could adversely affect employee morale.

In this context, Brittas has demanded that the matter of the 12 transferred locomotive pilots be addressed urgently, and that the Palakkad division be directed to reinstate them to their previous stations at the earliest.