BOMBAY: The declaration that if the Railway strike was to continue, it might be that the operational units will have to take charge of maintaining the service was made by Dr. H. Nichols, General Manager of the B.B. and C.I. Railway at a Press Conference today [Dec 6].

In a Press statement on the strike today it was pointed out that a regrettable feature of the strike was that the 14 days’ notice by law was not given, nor had the strike the approval of the Trade Unions, or Staff Committees. It was very important for such central Government organisations as Railways, to have this notice. They are not in the position of a commercial firm, which can usually settle things quickly on the spot. Strikes are usually concerned with such matters as pay and allowances, which can only be settled by the Railway Board, and usually on an all-India basis.

Referring to the grievances of the strikes, the statement added: “As Dearness Allowance has been granted on an all-India basis it is difficult for any one locally to say whether these allowances are adequate or not without knowing all the facts on an all-India basis, such as are known to the Railway Board.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2019