IRCTC keeps order to terminate over 500 contractual employees

IRCTC keeps order to terminate over 500 contractual employees

Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)  Chairman MP Mallal said that trains have been shut down since March. We haven't abruptly terminated the services of contracted employees. We have taken this decision at a time when the industry is slowly getting back on track so that they don't have difficulty finding jobs elsewhere.

Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has shown its way out to more than 500 contractual employees.

IRCTC says the department does not need these employees in the present situation.

"The lockdown has also affected irctc revenue, a senior IRCTC official said, according to an Indian Express report. This is zero since the lockdown. It was difficult to hire catering supervisors, but the corporation is spending Rs 1.25 crore every month, he said.

Irctc, in a letter issued on June 25, notified kolkata, Mumbai in the west Secunderabad in south central and Chennai in the south, and chennai in the south, it has been decided that under the existing circumstances, it has been decided that catering supervisors placed on contract are no longer required. These employees are being issued one month's notice and their services are being terminated.

We are getting calls from the zonal office asking us to come to the office and sign the termination letter, said a supervisor posted in South Central Zone, who asked not to disclose the identity. When we asked for the reason for terminating the services, we were told that they were only following the orders of the corporate office, he said.

These employees were placed on a two-year contract. There is a clause in the contract stating that they can be removed on a month's notice only if their performance is not satisfactory.

Many catering supervisors say their performance is not bad at all. At a time when many railway employees were at home. We have distributed food to labour special trains and worked round the clock.

Given our efforts while running labour special trains, get some rewards but we are being removed by giving termination letters says Surbh Nagar, a supervisor in South Zone.

Another supervisor, Akanksha Dutta, said, We were not informed about this decision. We received a letter from the corporate office in Delhi on June 25, after which we were issued termination letter on June 26,

Trains have been closed since March but we have not abruptly terminated the services of contracted staff," irctc chairman and managing director MP Mallal said. We have taken this decision at a time when the industry is slowly getting back on track so that they don't have difficulty finding jobs elsewhere. All the terms of the contract have been complied with.

IRCTC officials say that supervisors will be hired on a large scale whenever required, but their work is being entrusted to these house staff of the railways.

IRCTC had appointed about 560 catering supervisors in 2018 to check the quality of food served by contractors in trains.

The job of catering supervisors was to oversee the preparation of food in trains, check quality, address passenger complaints and ensure that no more money is charged than the fixed price for food.

An IRCTC spokesperson indicated that the decision was being reconsidered.

IRCTC spokesperson Siddharth Singh said, "We are reconsidering the matter. We're considering whether this decision might be revisited. Some steps will be taken in this regard.

Meanwhile, the suspended employees have spoken to railway minister Piyush Goyal through social media seeking intervention.

Irctc services have been badly affected by the lockdown imposed in the wake of corona virus.

At present, railway workers are running 230 special trains besides special trains. All regular passenger services are suspended since March 23.