The railway union is seeking the termination of contract employees in safety-critical positions

The South Central Railway Employees’ Sangh (SCRES) strongly opposed the railway ministry’s “increasing reliance on outsourcing in safety-critical operations” and demanded time-bound filling of vacancies at approved posts.

SCRES Secretary General M. Raghaviah said the Commissioner for Railway Safety (CRS) has also recommended that contract staff engaged in safety-related duties be kept to a minimum in the short term and eliminated in the long term. The advisory followed the Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express collision at Kavarapettai station on 11 October 2024.

1.5 million vacancies in security categories across Indian Railways

The union leader claimed that contract workers continue to be deployed to make up for shortages of regular staff, including in safety-sensitive operations, despite official claims to the contrary. He said there are about 1.5 million vacancies in security categories in Indian Railways. There are around 1,300 Station Manager vacancies, nearly 1,000 Assistant Locomotive (ALP) vacancies and about 3,000 apprentice related vacancies in South Central Railway (SCR) and South Coast Railway (SCoR) zones alone, he said.

₹ 69,000 monthly salary and other requirements

The union also reiterated its demands before the Eighth Central Pay Commission (CPC) for a minimum monthly salary of ₹69,000, based on an equipment factor of 3.833, citing the rigors of railway work, including round-the-clock duties, night shifts, high stress levels and limited family time.

Other demands of SCRES are 100% merger of DA with basic pay once DA reaches 25%, increase in annual increment rate from 3% to 6% and introduction of open pay scales without arbitrary ceilings.

The union further demanded a minimum financial gain of ₹10,000 per promotion through at least two additional increments and called on the CPSU to address the disparity between existing and future pensioners, drawing parallels with the One Rank One Pension (OROP) model for the armed forces. She also reiterated her demand for restoration of Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for railway employees, said a press release issued by Media Coordinator V. Sripati Sarma.

Published – 05 Nov 2026 16:25 IST