From the Federation Website..

All India Railwaymen`s Federation (AIRF), the biggest Federation of the Railway Workers in India as well as in the world having more than 1.5 million members on roll, strongly voiced against anti labour policies of the Govt. in its 79th Annual Convention held in Kolkata from December 8th –10th, 2003.

About 20,000 Railwaymen from all over the country have attended the Open session of the convention held in the evening of December 8, 2003 at “Saheed Minar Maidan”. Several colourful processions of the railway workers shouting slogans on various demands and anti labour policies of the Govt reached “Saheed Minar Maidan” from Howrah and Sealdah Railway Station to join the Open Session.

The Open session was addressed by S/Sri N. D. Bhattacharjee, chairman of Reception Committee & Transport Minister of West Bengal, Umraomal Purohit President, AIRF J.P.Chaubey, General Secretary, AIRF, Wilhelmn Haberzelts, President, Austrian Railway Workers Union and many others with Sri U. Purohit in the chair.

Sri Umraomal Purohit and Sri Chaubey expressed serious concern on the alarming situation of increased unemployment , closure of industries, disinvestments of public sector undertakings, communalization and criminalisation of politics, rampant corruption. They expressed serious concern about the ill affects of liberalisation, privatization and globalisation procedure undertaken at the behest of IMF and World Bank. Both of them severely critised the Railway Minister`s action of closing down sheds and shops, declaring large number of Gr.C and D staff surplus and transferring them far flung areas. They said that one lakh posts in safety categories are lying vacant. The recruitment procedure is too long drawn and change of the recruitment procedure for Group D has caused serious problems in many places.

Mr. Wilhelmn Haberzelts, president, Austrian Railway Workers Union and also the president of the European Transport Workers participated in the Open Session as a Fraternal Delegate. He explained the horrifying situation created all over the world due to the policies of the IMF & World Bank. He said that the Developing and underdeveloped countries are worst hit.

The delegate session after a marathon discussion for 2 days has adopted resolutions on Alarming National Situation, Railwaymens` problems and Safety in Railway`s Working.

The conference reelected S/Shri Umraomal Purohit, J.P.Chaubey, as President, and General Secretay respectively of the Federation along with other 18 office bearers unanimously.