Get set for dirtier CR trains tomorrow

If you are a Central Railway (CR) commuter who is already disgusted with dirty trains, platforms and railway stations, then be prepared for the worse.

Be ready: With 17,000 contract workers going on a day's strike cleanliness in trains, platforms and tracks will take a massive hit. Representation pic

Citing problems in timely payment of minimum wages and travelling allowances as prescribed by the Ministry of Labour, approximately 17,000 contract workers - associated with the union-body of Central Railway (CR) - have called for a day's strike. The strike will commence at 6 am tomorrow and will end at 6 am on Friday. Apart from Mumbai division, workers from other divisions such as Pune, Bhusaval, Solapur and Nagpur, will also be a part of the strike.

Those participating in the strike are responsible for cleaning the stations, dustbins, garbage and muck off the tracks, coaches, supplying bedding inside AC coaches on long distance trains, among others.

"There will be at least 8,000 workers in the Mumbai division who will not be working. It will affect cleanliness on both local and long distance trains equally. We will be meeting the officials from the Labour ministry on June 27," said S D Gangurde, general secretary of Railway Theka Mazdoor Union (CR) yesterday.

Some of the union members said that cleaning of trains stationed at major car sheds and yards such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Sanpada, Kurla, among others, will be affected greatly.

Nothing to worry
Railway officials, however, claim that the impact of the strike will be very limited as most of the jobs have been outsourced to private contractors. "The impact of the strike shouldn't be drastic as most of the works, including cleaning, have been outsourced," a senior CR official said.u00a0