Covid-19 (Corona Virus) Cases - Precautionary measures needed

Registration No. : RTU/Nnn/31/2012

NFIR

National Federation of Indian Railwaymen

No. II/34/2020

Date: 05.03.2020

The Chairman,
Railway Board,
New Delhi.

Dear Sir,

Sub: Covid-19 (Corona Virus) Cases - Precautionary measures needed - Reg

I) In view of announcement of confirmed Corona Cases officially in different places in our country, the railway employees and their families are worried a lot about their safety. The running staff and other frontline categories staff with public interface are more vulnerable under the present circumstances. In the case of running staff, they have to mandatorily go through the Breath Analyser Test, by which, there are chances of quick spread of Corona Virus. If such unfortunate development takes place, the entire running staff will be affected adversely which may lead to disruption of train services on all zonal railways.

In view of the above critical scenario, NFIR requests the Railway Board (CRE) to consider that the staff who are supposed to undergo the Breath Analyser Test are not forced to take the test till such time Corona Virus is brought under control in India. While suspending Breath Analyser Test, the administration may make alternative mechanism for conducting checks.

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II) The staff working in different public interface categories like commercial, operating etc., and also in the field are required to be provided masks to enable them wear while on duty and perform duties with self-confidence. Besides face masks, it may also be ensured to supply alcoholic soap/hand sanitizers at work-places to facilitate the staff to wash their hands very frequently.

III) The present system of Bio-metric Attendance would lead to spreading of virus from one person to another, in view of touching the machine to give attendance by large number of employees. In view of the risk involved, many Corporate Institutions have already suspended the system of Biometric Attendance to its employees. Similar action is also warranted in all the Railway Establishments/Workshops etc., till the period, the Corona Virus is fully controlled.
The Federation (NFIR), therefore, requests the Chairman, Railway Board to kindly arrange to issue instructions to the General Managers of Zonal Railways/Production Units for:

• deferring Breath Analyser Tests on Running Staff
• supplying face masks, hand sanitizers / alcoholic soaps at work places and;
• suspending the Bio-Metric Attendance System in all all the Railway Establishments / Workshops etc., immediately.

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Yours faithfully,

(Dr.M.Raghavaiah)
General Secretary

Source: NFIR