The two-day convention, marked by a strong turnout, was addressed by several prominent speakers. Among them were CPI(ML) MP and Railway Standing Committee member Sudama Prasad, AICCTU national general secretary Rajiv Dimri, national president V. Shankar, national vice president Shashi Yadav, JNU economics professor Dr. Atul Sood, and president of Bihar State Non-Gazetted Employees Federation (Gope) Rambili Prasad. Leaders from various fraternal unions working in the railways and from IREF-AICCTU affiliated zonal unions also spoke. Their addresses centered on policies affecting the railways and the country, helping delegates grasp the current and future challenges and possibilities.
During the discussion on the outgoing committee’s general secretary’s report, office-bearers from all zonal unions presented their respective reports. These highlighted the present conditions of railway employees and put forward their demands. After thorough deliberation, the convention adopted several important resolutions. Chief among them was the demand to immediately stop corporatization, privatization, outsourcing and the contract system in the railways, which are worsening operations and increasing the distress of contract workers. The convention also demanded immediate recruitment to more than 300,000 vacant posts, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme in place of the New Pension Scheme, formation of the Eighth Pay Commission, and calculation of PLB bonus as per the Seventh Pay Commission. Other key demands included extension of medical and pass facilities to employees’ parents, improvement of working conditions for women employees, implementation of an 8-hour duty roster instead of the inhuman 12-hour system, and scrapping of the four labour codes brought in by the government.
Around 400 delegates from nearly all railway zonal unions and production units across the country participated. After unanimously adopting the general secretary’s report, the convention elected a 77-member National Executive, including 37 office bearers. Sarvjeet Singh was elected national general secretary of IREF and Akhilesh Pandey was elected national president. Other office bearers include Rajiv Dimri as honorary president, Amreek Singh and Santosh Kumar Paswan as working presidents, Mrityunjay Kumar and Durgesh Pandey as additional general secretaries, and Jumerdeen as organizational secretary.
The newly elected executive hailed the trust shown by railway employees in the recent union recognition elections and resolved to work with full dedication and fresh energy for the welfare of employees and the improvement of the railway system. It pledged to further strengthen the organization at the grassroots and affirmed that IREF is prepared to defend the rights and dignity of railway employees at every level, from the streets to Parliament. The convention was not just a meeting but the beginning of a new movement, united in determination to face every challenge ahead.
