Mysuru: Members of the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union protested, pressing for their charter of demands to be implemented. The members took out a rally from the Railway Station to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, where they staged a dharna on Monday.

Employees listed 10 demands including revision of pay of Central Government employees with effect from Jan 1 2014, dropping moves for privatization, PPP or FDI in Railways and defence establishments, no ban on creation/recruitment of posts, scrapping of the PFRDA Act, removal of arbitrary ceiling on compassionate appointments, no labour reforms that are detrimental to the interest of workers and promotions in service among other things.    

In a press release issued by the union, M. Nagendran, convener of the Hassan unit of the union, said the protest was being staged as directed by the National Joint Council of Action of Central Government Employees.

The protest aimed at seeking upward revision of wages with retrospective effect from January 2014 and opposing privatization, besides taking exception to the proposal to allow foreign direct investment in Railways and Defence.

President of the Hassan branch of SWRMU R. Venkatesh, secretaries Karunakaran, Ramachandra and M.A. Pathan led the protest.