Kochi: When it comes to planning holidays, it seems Keralites are up there in the top. The railways have conceded to “strange” request of open line staff of Thiruvananthapuram division for changing the holiday from Easter falling on April one (Sunday) to that of Good Friday (March 30). “What prompted staff to take up the issue through union is that they will get full weekend upon getting a holiday on Friday. With the trade unions also calling for a general strike on April 2 Monday, many would be eyeing a four-day break. The railways granted the same since we found the same would not affect daily operations much,” said a senior official.
However, the request was granted on the condition that such requests should not be made again in the future. “(The request of the staff)…has been approved by the competent authority as a onetime measure. It’s also advised that henceforth all necessary changes may be done at the time of finalizing the list of holidays which is being decided in consultation with the union and no such proposal for changes will be entertained in future,” a letter from the personnel department to the Divisional Secretary of SRMU (Southern Railway Mazdoor Union), which took up the issue, read.
Meanwhile, the union representatives called on the Divisional Railway Manager and demanded steps to ensure foolproof safety for employees at worksites. This after the recent mishap in Quilon yard when an employee was killed and two other got injured during reversing of a packing machine.
