The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) here opened its office for administrative work, asking dozens of employees to report for duty following the safety protocol on Thursday.
With the Southern Railway Zonal/Divisional offices also planning to open offices with 33% staff, the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union has recorded its protest by writing to the General Manager that the move was against the interests of employees and their family members.
ICF, the largest coach manufacturing unit in the world, with over 10,000 employees stopped factory work ever since the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed.
On April 29, the Principal Chief Personnel Officer issued an order asking Heads of Departments in the factory to call 33% of the staff to attend office. However, employees residing in containment areas were asked to work from home.
“Besides the Ministry of Home Affairs letter allowing functioning of offices with 33% staff, we obtained the sanction of the Regional Joint Director, Department of Industries, Tamil Nadu, according permission for 500 employees to work in the lockdown period. All the staff who came to work wore masks and maintained physical distancing as per norms” a senior ICF official told The Hindu.
Safety issues
All India Railwaymen Federation working president N. Kanniah wrote to the Southern Railway General Manager expressing serious concern over employees being allowed to work in containment areas.
He said Chennai topped the list of COVID-19 positive cases in the State and the zonal office of Southern Railway and Chennai divisional headquarters were located in close proximity to the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital, which was a containment area.
The fact that doctors, para-medical staff and other frontline workers were themselves getting infected only showed the tenacity of coronavirus and the susceptibility of normal human beings.
“It is not advisable to open the headquarters, division offices and workshops in Chennai area as it will be against the interest of hundreds of employees and their family members.”
Mr. Kanniah, who is also the general secretary of the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union, said the suspension of public transport was an obstacle since employees, despite having duty passes, had to go through the ordeal of severe restrictions on travel and frequent checks by law-enforcing agencies.
“If normal transport facilities are restored, opening of offices can definitely be done since it would mean that the area is safe and the government has officially declared it as such,” he said.
