Aviation Crisis Mirrors Loco Pilot Issues in Railways

New Delhi, Dec 8 (PTI) The crisis caused in the aviation sector by the disruption in IndiGo's operations closely mirrors the long-standing issues faced by loco pilots in Indian Railways due to a similar demand for a scientifically-designed working atmosphere for operational safety, a prominent loco pilot union said on Monday.

The All India Loco Running Staff Association, which represents a significant section of running crew, said that the IndiGo controversy is not just an aviation issue, it is a "warning" for all high-risk industries.

“Whether in the skies or on the rails, worker fatigue directly translates into dangers to passenger safety. Regulations based on modern sleep science are not mere 'union demands' to skip from duty. But, they are demands of safety standards," K C James, Secretary General, AILRSA, said in a statement.

“The present aviation crisis should become an eye-opener to railway management. The lives of millions of passengers depend more on the alertness of loco pilots than on airlines, because technical advancement in Railways is far inferior to airways,” he said.

Amidst the aviation crisis, the union reiterated its demands like a maximum of two continuous night duties; rational duty hours aligned with human physiology and adequate rest after every duty, along with weekly rest. It also cited various rail accident investigations that have flagged the odd working hours of the crew.

“Many high-level committees -- from the Anil Kakodkar Safety Review Committee 2012, to parliamentary panels like the Tripathi committee (HPC 2013) -- have repeatedly recommended scientific working hour regulations for loco pilots. Yet the Railway Board has refused to implement them, citing operational constraints,” James said.

He claimed that the 172-year-old Railways has never ventured to conduct a job analysis on the duties of its Loco Pilots.

Referring to a judgement pronounced on 26/04/2022 by the High Court of Chennai in writ petition No 23389 of 2013, James said that the Railway management submitted that they never conducted a job analysis of Loco Pilots.

“The High Court ordered Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) Chennai to conduct a job analysis within 6 weeks from 26/04/22. Railway administration refused permission to the labour department, claiming Railways alone have the competency to conduct job analysis, and the Railway management refused to do that also,” James claimed.

He also highlighted the “unlawful curtailment of daily rest” which, according to him, was prohibited by the High Court of Karnataka in 2010.

Questioning the government's handling of the aviation crisis, James said that every agitation by workers in any public sector or government-run industry is often met with disciplinary action, charge sheets or suppression by "invoking all sorts of black rules" and citing the convenience of the travelling people or transportation of essential goods.

“But when large private corporations resist safety regulations, the government kneels before their dictums, even neglecting the safety of the system," he alleged.