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RJD MP writes to Piyush Goyal over contract termination of IRCTC employees
Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said the IRCTC employees offered essential services during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha on Friday wrote to Union railway minister Piyush Goyal questioning the non-renewal of contracts of hospitality employees of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). This came after the employees took to social media, alleging that they were asked to leave.
“These contractual employees gave their best to the Indian Railways even during the peak of the Covid-19. They were actively engaged in the management and supervision of food delivery services in the Shramik special trains run by the Indian Railways,” Jha said in his letter.
He said he was writing on behalf of these workers who were hired by the IRCTC on April 23, 2019, for the supervision of catering services, quality inspection in trains as well as catering units of the railways.
“To our utter shock, I am informed by these employees from various locations that they have been categorically told by the IRCTC authorities to look for new jobs and that after 20 days they would not be part of the service anymore. The feeble argument from the IRCTC is that they were hired on a two-year contract which is ending now,” he said in the letter.
“We all know that the hotel industry is among the worst affected during the Covid crisis, therefore, it is unimaginable for them to be employed by the hotel industry amidst an unprecedented crisis. I remember during an intervention led by me in the budget session of the parliament, you had emphatically assured that nobody shall be terminated from their job. I sincerely request you to please look into the matter with utmost urgency and save the jobs of these hundreds of hospitality supervisors engaged with the IRCTC,” Jha stated.
One of the contractual employees, on condition of anonymity, said, their supervisors have given them verbal orders to look for a new job by this month. “On April 23, many supervisors will end their contracts. We have even written letters to the PMO and the railway minister seeking their intervention on the matter,” he said.
“Presently, catering services in special trains are limited to sales of ready-to-eat food, packaged drinking water, tea/coffee, et cetera. Base kitchens are non-operational. The scope of work for the hospitality supervisor is very limited. Regarding the period of the contract for these hospitality supervisors, action is being taken as per the terms and conditions of the contract,” an IRCTC spokesperson said.
This comes in the backdrop of the decision taken by the national transporter’s catering arm in June last year when it decided to terminate the contract of more than 500 contractual workers. However, its board may reconsider the decision, HT reported on June 30.
In a letter to all railway zones dated June 25, the IRCTC informed all its zonal offices that there was no requirement for these contractual workers under the present circumstances and that they should be given one month notice. The IRCTC then said, “The decision to terminate the contracts is currently under reconsideration.”
Just a day later, the IRCTC said it decided to put on hold its order to terminate the services of over 500 contractual workers days after it terminated their contracts following an uproar on social media. Several former contractual employees who were handed the termination letter took to social media to seek intervention by railway minister Piyush Goyal.
Around 560 supervisors (hospitality) were hired by the IRCTC in 2019 on a contractual basis for two years to maintain a quality check on contractors assigned to cater food in trains equipped with pantries.
