The United Movement committee, which comprises employees of several Central government organisations, like post and telegraph, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and defence, has decided to sit on a three-hour "dharna" in central Kolkata on April 4 to vindicate their stand. The committee is also threatening a nationwide strike.

The manpower planning programme has laid down that staff costs, excluding pension, should ideally be brought down to about 35 per cent of gross traffic receipts (GTR) or including pension at about 46 per cent of GTR.

As per the official calculations, at the present level, staff costs, including pension, will increase from 53 per cent of GTR in 1998-99 to 65 per cent in 2010.

The strategies to be adopted, include inculcating benchmarking for optimising manpower provision in each activity, merger of identified categories through multi-skilling, as also inculcating a sense of cost-consciousness in the entire workforce. The plan also envisages the need to fill up existing and future vacancies in each area of activity to effect maximum possible surrender of posts and restricting intake to essential categories only.

The plan says that the total intake on zones, should not exceed 16,000 per year, including cases of compassionate ground appointments. However, the plan has not gone down well with the railway workers who say that the Railways should aim at reducing bureaucracy, which makes the organisation top heavy instead of just cutting down on employment opportunities. The three-hour long dharna is expected to attract almost 20,000 employees. The All India Railwaymens' Federation will meet on March 21 to finalise an action plan.

A union leader pointed out that contracts are being given out to private contractors, on the pretext that they are cheaper while workshops' staff are forced to sit idle. "According to the Eastern Railway officials, there are 20,000 excess employees. But take the case of production of bolts for railway coaches. Earlier, it was handled by the railway itself, but it is given to contractors on the pretext that it is cheaper. This is not true," he said.ing to JP Chaubey, general secretary, All India Railwaymen's Federation, the Railways should aim at reducing the top heavy bureaucracy, instead of just cutting down on employment opportunities. There are seven new zones with general managers, which he felt should be done away with.

Speaking to The Financial Express, he said that there are 13 railway recruitment boards, which do not have any work since recruitment level is at present almost negligible. Moreover, there are 19 tribunals deciding on claims. This function should be passed on to courts.

The responsibility of running suburban trains should be hived off to the respective state governments, like it is in many other countries, he said.