Meeting between Railway Board and Federations fixed on January 15 & 16, 2014.

All India Railwaymen Federation to which WREU is affiliated had conducted a strike ballot on December 20 and 21across seventeen zones of the Indian Railway, in which about 8 lakh employees participated about 96% voted in favour of a strike,

National Federation of Indian Railwaymen is also planning to conduct a strike ballot on January 17 and 18 across the country.

In this scenario, Railway Board has called a meeting of representatives of these Federations on January 15 and 16 to discuss the pending demands. There are many issues on which there is unanimity between the Railway Board and the Unions like revision of grade pay for the running staff categories and Station Masters, but those demands are pending with the Finance Ministry.

A possible strike can prove to be a nuisance for the Congress led United Progressive Alliance Government, already battling economic crises. A Railway strike means the entire economy comes to a halt. It is not the political cost but it the economic cost that is the cause of worry. Central Government has already announced setting up of the 7th Central Pay Commission.