Railways must implement decisions on staff transfer: CAT

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has ruled that decisions on the transfer of 600 employees taken by a machinery, set up by Railways to settle disputes, should be implemented.

Justice G Rajasuria, judicial member of CAT, who disposed of the original applications filed by Southern Railway Mazdoor Union last week, said the minutes of the meeting did not disclose what transpired during the discussion and what points and suggestions of the union were turned down by the administration.

Pulling up the union for failing to record the minutes, the judicial member said, "When a union like SRMU participates in a discussion, it should prepare a written submission in the form of a booklet and also set out the objective facts before the railway administration for consideration."
 

"I am of the view that it is for the applicant to submit their detailed suggestion in the form of dossiers to the railway administration, following which there could be fruitful discussions between them and a conclusion could be arrived at," he observed.

However, he said the administration could hold discussions with the union and finalise on pin-pointing posts.

SRMU had approached the tribunal against the orders of the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager and Senior Divisional Personal Officer 'unilaterally' pin-pointing posts in the commercial department in Madras division and effecting more than 600 transfers on periodical grounds.

The union had contended that the orders were contrary to decisions taken by the Permanent Negotiating Machinery (PNM), wherein the General Manager had agreed to some norms and that his decision cannot be sidelined by the subordinate officers in the commercial department.

The tribunal which heard the application directed the railway administration to undertake the work study and after discussion with the union, finalise the 'pin-pointing'.

PNM is a machinery set up by Railways with a view to settle disputes arising between organised labour and railway administration.