Hyderabad Metro Rail ticketing staff protest, L&T Metro warns of stern action

HYDERABAD: As many as 150 Redline ticketing employees of Hyderabad Metro Rail in the Miyapur-LB Nagar route boycotted duties on Tuesday, demand increase their wages.

The employees have raised their concerns saying that the salaries remained stable at Rs. 11,000 for the past five years and demanded hike in salaries from Rs. 15,000 to 18,000.

With the employees boycotting duties, passengers in large numbers queued up at Ameerpet and Miyapur metro stations.

It is learned that the employees are contemplating going for a strike and likely to take a decision after the response from the Hyderabad Metro officials regarding salaries.

Booking staff at Ameerpet metro rail station also staged a dharna, protesting that they were being paid a niggardly Rs.11,000 a month.

L&T Metro rail condemns protests, warns of stern action

“Few ticketing staff under a contracting agency have connived and abstained from work today with a purpose to disrupt train operations, causing passenger inconvenience. They are also spreading rumours and misinformation out of vested interest. Their claims are false and their actions are highly against the public interest, which will call for stern action by the HMR management. The management ensures due facilities and benefits are given to staff, however, will be discussing with them to learn more. Train operations are running on time and sufficient manpower is available.”

Despite issuing a stern warning, the Metro Rail management also reportedly initiated talks with the agitating contract employees in a bid to end the protest.

Some of the contract employees later spoke to the media and poured out their woes. They claimed that timings were not being strictly adhered to on most occasions. They are being left in the lurch during times when they have to work continuously in the absence of a reliever, the ticketing staff said.

Also, they accused the management of not giving them sufficient time during lunch or dinner breaks.