Motormen likely to call off strike

However, both the Central and Western Railway officials claimed that they did not receive any instructions from the Board regarding the matter. They are gearing up for the strike having sent nearly 150former motormen to brush up.

The meetings assume significance since it was one of the rare occasions when the Railway Ministry agreed to hold talks with an unrecognised section of workers. The delegation also held discussions with the Union Railways Minister.

The forum was formed by a section of motormen who broke away from the recognised railway labour unions, accusing them of working against them. They had put up boards stating that the unions had failed to put up their case forcefully enough before the Fifth Pay Commission resulting in grade disparity between them and various other sections of government employees.

The forum members had also gone on a one day casual leave in September last and then on a hunger strike to press their demands without any success.

Herdikar claimed that the strike had not been called off, but that the atmosphere had changed after the talks in Delhi. “Though my colleagues are prepared for the agitation, we must also think of the repercussions of the strike, about theenmities it might arouse,” he said, in an obvious reference to the opposition of the unions to the forum.