Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, Feb 8: Loco pilots and their families, under the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA), staged a protest at Mangaluru Junction railway station on Saturday, February 8.

The protesting loco pilots demanded an end to excessive workload, the restriction of duty hours to 8 hours for goods trains and 6 hours for passenger trains, and the removal of the CCRC official from his post.

They alleged that loco pilots are forced to work tirelessly as the CCRC denies leave and deducts salaries even during emergencies. One protester claimed that a loco pilot was denied leave despite his son being in the ICU. In another instance, a loco pilot who had to take his father to the hospital was marked absent for 13 days with a salary deduction.

Executive director of AILRSA PGT, P K Ashokan, stated, "We will submit a memorandum to the railway DRM. If our demands are not addressed, we will abstain from work as part of our protest."

Family members also expressed concerns, stating that their husbands face severe mental stress due to excessive workload and the continuous denial of leave and rest.