Achievements of AISMA (Part - 1)
Struggles, Sacrifices & Achievements of AISMA - Part 1
It was in the year 1955, the Annual Conference was held at Ajmer, where Com. S.N. Ohri was elected as Secretary General and he continued the work of his predecessor in organising the Divisional units of this Association. It was also decided considering the bleak opportunity of getting promotions, to demand for better promotional opportunities. The resolution to this effect was passed and sent to the then Railway Minister and others.
The Annual Conference at Madras (now Chennai) was conducted in the year 1956 and Com. R.C. Soni was elected as the SG. The Conference, by a resolution, decided for a “Pay Sathyagraha” (Pay Boycott) as a matter of urging the decision taken in the previous Conference at Ajmer. This program of Pay Sathyagraha was carried out in Many Railways and the same echoed in the Parliament also. It was based on this agitation that the then Railway Minister, Shri. Jagajeevan Ram was forced to include the issue of Station Masters in his Budgetary Speech on the promotional aspects of Station Masters. His Budgetary Speech is as follows:
“There are approximately 23,000 Station Masters and Assistant Station Masters in the lowest scale of Rs. 64-170, with only 3000 posts in the higher grades to which they look for promotions. It is now proposed to allot nearly 9000 posts in the higher grades than the lowest. In addition to so increasing the number of posts in the higher grades, it is also proposed to start Assistant Station Masters at the higher stage of Rs. 80/- in the Central Pay Commission scale of Rs. 64-70. This is in recognition of the special training which these categories of staff have to undergo for their duties. The lowest scale applicable to Station Masters will be Rs. 100-185 and the Station Masters of even small (Roadside) stations will no longer be in the scale of Rs. 64-170 as hitherto. This, I trust would largely meet the point of view expressed by the staff in these categories.”
It was in this year, a Station Master of Hubli Division, of the then Southern Railway, returned the misfitting uniforms and was severely punished. Thus the first and mighty seed for our Uniform Struggle was sown.
The next Annual Conference was held at Calcutta (now Kolkatta) in 1957 and there it was decided to continue the Pay Sathyagraha in the Northern Railway since the announcement made in the Budgetary Speech by the MR was not fully implemented in that Railway. This Pay Sathyagraha was most successfully conducted in the New Delhi area, which made the Administration to implement the pronouncements of the MR by way of issuing orders.
Reproduced below is the revolutionary outburst of the Station Masters who attended the Conference, which was sung aloud to be heard by the Railway Administration:
SING SONGS OF STRIKE IN COURAGEOUS TUNE (1957)
We are to start all works odd;
Don’t be moved by selfish mob;
Have unity might not rob;
For the marvelous action full of odd;
Be prepared for thrilling duel, SING SONGS…
No vehicle should be moved from that day;
Every machine should be seized where it lay;
No booking to be done from the crucial day;
No Station Master should work but should pray;
For the fulfillment of demands from that noon, SING SONGS…
No strike is glorious we surely feel;
In the Nation’s progress is a shameful deal;
Since every effort has failed of years zeal;
We are taking this step as a question of meal;
Be firm to face any misfortune, SING SONGS…
Our pay scale is poorer if calmly thought;
Revision of grades is the demand of lot;
Looking to the responsibility and what we are paid;
50% increase in wages should be sought;
A little courage is required for the boon, SING SONGS…
This Conference of Calcutta warns again;
Railway Board and Minister who have the same
Blood in their veins as we have,
To avoid the troubles which will save
Public inconvenience expected soon, SING SONGS…
The next Annual Conference was held at Nagpur in which the then Member of Parliament Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee (Ex. Prime Minister of India) was elected as the President of this Association. Co. R.C. Soni was again elected as the SG. It was in this Conference that the Station Masters passed a resolution demanding a fresh avenue of promotions without any kind of interpolation from other categories. Further in order to pursue their claim, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court in No. 126/1958, challenging the avenue of promotions that was in vogue in various Railways.
In the 1959 Annual Conference, Com. K. Srinivasa Raghavan was elected as the SG. This was the year of expectations, since the second Pay Commission was due to submit its report on the pay scales of the Central Government employees including Railways. There was much anxiety in the air to know what is in store for everybody. It is in such a situation this Association decided to build up a momentum to keep the Cadre ready for any major struggle.
The next All India Conference was held in Hyderabad and Com. K. Srinivasa Raghavan was elected as SG. The expectations of the Railwaymen in general and Station Masters in particular were all betrayed by the second Pay Commission. The Association fell in line with the majority settlement of the Railwaymen and joined the Strike in 1960.
It was in 1961, that a decision was taken by this Association to go for an agitation demanding higher pay scales, better promotional opportunities and adequate number of LRs and RGs. It was a Work-to-Rule programme and it was implemented in all Railways successfully which drew the attention of the Government to set up a Committee under Justice Sankar Saran. He evaluated the work of SMs and submitted that any ASM at a wayside station is executing 270% of work at any given time, as shown below:
| Sl. No. |
Categories of different jobs performed by one ASM in one shift | Minimum Drawn in terms of Rupees | Percentage of works performed by an ASM at a roadside station |
| 1 | YM – for marshalling and correct despatch of wagons & carriages to destinations | 64 to 170 | 5% |
| 2 | SHUNTER – yard shunting for attaching & detaching wagons | 60 to 150 | 5% |
| 3 | TRAINS CLERK – maintenance of movements of coaches & wagons | 55 to 130 | 10% |
| 4 | SIGNALLER – message working | 60 to 150 | 40% |
| 5 | ASM – train passing | 150 to 225 | 50% |
| 6 | BOOKING CLERK – booking of parcels & luggages, submission of returns and remittance of earnings | 60 to 150 | 60% |
| 7 | PARCEL CLERK - booking of parcels & luggages, submission of returns and inward work | 60 to 150 | 20% |
| 8 | GOODS CLERK – booking of goods and submission of returns | 60 to 150 | 10% |
| 9 | TICKET COLLECTOR – collection of tickets and submission of returns | 55 to 130 | 50% |
| 10 | PASSENGER GUIDE – to guide passengers | 100 to 185 | 10% |
| 11 | ENQUIRY CLERK – to give proper and prompt information to public | 100 to 185 | 10% |
| TOTAL | 270% |
Based on the above findings, the percentage was distributed for the Station Masters of various grades and circulated by the RB Order No. PC-60/PS-S/OS-1 of 27-01-1961 as below:
| Sl. No. | Authorised Scale | Existing % | Revised % |
| 1 | a. 450 – 575 b. 370 – 475 c. 335 – 425 d. 250 – 380 |
5% | 7 - 8% |
| 2 | 150 – 240 | 35% | 31 - 34% |
| 3 | 130 – 225 | 60% | 62 - 58% |
| 4 | TOTAL | 100% | 100 - 100% |
Note: The percentages revised are to be worked out on a total strength of SMs & ASMs in Indian Railways. This was not worked out as said above but was changed and worked out on different strength in the year 1964 and was implemented by the RB to the disadvantage of SMs in Indian Railways.
The next All India Conference was held in Haridwar and elected the same Personnel as President and SG. In the same year a massive Rally of SMs was held in New Delhi demanding immediate implementation of the Justice Sankar Saran Award.
In the Jaipur All India Conference held in 1964 Shri. A.B. Vajpayee and Com. K.S. Raghavan were elected as the President and SG respectively. It was in this year that another Rally of SMs was held in New Delhi demanding the implementation of the Justice Sankar Saran Award.
The Order which did the mischief was issued by the RB on 25-09-1962 in No. PC 60/PS/5/OS-1 to take effect from 01-10-1962. The said Order is given below:
| Authorised Scales | Existing % | Revised % For SMs | Revised % For ASMs |
|
455 – 575 370 – 475 335 – 425 250 – 380 |
7 – 8% | 12% | 2% |
|
205 – 280 150 – 240 |
31 – 34% |
13% 75%
|
3% 20% |
| 130 – 225 | 62 – 58% | --- | 75% |
| TOTAL | 100% | 100% |
Note: The existing percentage of 7-8% was originally worked out on 30,000 SMs & ASMs whereas the revised 12% was worked out on 6000 SMs only. The table below will bring out the injustice done to the category of 24,000 ASMs & 6000 SMs.
| Grade | Existing % | Total No. of Posts | Revised % of SMs | Total No. of Post of SMs | Revised % of ASMs | Total No. of Post of ASMs |
| 450-575 370-475 335-425 250-380 |
7-8% | 2100-2400 | 12% | 720 | 2% | 480 |
| 205-280 150-240 |
31-34% | 6300-10200 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 205-280 | --- | --- | 13% | 780 | 3% | 720 |
| 150-240 | --- | --- | 75% | 4500 | 20% | 4800 |
130-225 62-58% 18600-17400 --- --- 75% 18000
It could be seen from the above table that the number of posts recommended by Justice Sankar Saran in the highest grades of Rs. 450-575; Rs. 370-475; Rs. 335-425 & Rs. 250-380 totals up to 2400 posts. Whereas the revised percentage for SMs & ASMs separately works out to 1200 posts - an actual loss of 1200 posts in all. So also the fact is similar when we total up the number of posts in other grades. We had to bear with this loss up to 1983.
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