Antyodaya Express: The best a common man can get. - Vikas Kumar

*Strike the iron when hot. Elections are just ahead and this is right time for the railway workers to demand old pension scheme.
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* Old pension had detrimental effect on IR finances which effectively multiply the cost to company by a factor of about 1.5 to 1.6.
* IR pays about 25% of its total revenue as pension to its retired employees in addition to about 45% as pay & perks.
* Any rail transport organisation cannot sustain such high employee cost as there is very little left to operate safely, maintain properly and modernize the trains, tracks and other infrastructure.

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* Some jobs in IR like LP, maintenance etc are tough, but there are many industrial jobs which are equally tough, involve shift duties, more hazardous than railway job,and they don't get old pension.
* IR workers are demanding something which no other employees whether govt or private are getting and are trying to arm twist govt, taking benefit of its monopoly over the most efficient mode of transport i.e. railways.

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Long distance Travellers now prefer Air over Rail .once more airports and flight are in oprations ,Rajdhani /AC segment will face the heat .IR Must increase average speed to survive .Employees who are really working hard are contract Employees and sadly no improvement in their status.Only govt recruited staff are getting their due .

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