Another railway strike, over a cigarette; will it be over beedi in the next one?
In recent times, it has become a trend where unannounced train strikes by various trade unions are a new norm at the expense of more than a million commuters who use the service on a daily basis.
Whether the cause could be engaging in such trade union action can be justified on ethical and moral grounds is something unions have to ponder as this week's ‘surprise’ strike revealed a petty argument over a ‘cigarette’ which lead to an assault on a assistant railway guard that ended up in a strike disrupting some 78 scheduled trains that evening.
It turned out the assistant railway guard got into an argument with the security guard at the Maligawatte yard, while he was smoking on the premises. The argument ended in an assault, with the railway guard who was not in his uniform, claiming he was assaulted by the security guard.
Just weeks ago, another surprise strike was staged--disrupting dozens of official trains--over an incident where a Railway Controller was allegedly assaulted by a technician working in the Railway Department.
Last month, the sudden strike called by the Locomotive Engineers Union resulted in the death of a youth who had to undertake a dangerous journey on a crowded train. The grieving father of the victim said his son was forced to take the train as he could not afford to give him Rs 200 for the bus as he had asked for.
Fed up with strikes and crowded trains, commuters are also critical of the behaviour of the railway trade unions for calling surprise strikes to score points for their personal issues and administrative lapses by the department.
When a television crew approached an old gentleman who was stranded at Fort Railway Station on Tuesday, wondering how to reach home, he was subtle in his response, while calling for privatisation if this continues: “So now, this strike is over a cigarette fight and I am afraid there will be one for beedi in future as well.”