Bangladesh Railway’s running staff have announced a strike from midnight on 27 January, citing unresolved complexities regarding pension calculations and gratuity benefits linked to their running allowance.
As a consequence, train services across the country could come to a standstill.
Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Workers’ Association General Secretary Mujibur Rahman stated that the protest is a response to the government’s failure to address their long-standing demands.
According to the Ministry of Railways, discussions are ongoing regarding the grievances of the running staff, who include locomotive drivers, assistant drivers, guards, and ticket checkers.
As per regulations, running staff are entitled to 12 hours of rest at their headquarters and 8 hours at an outer station.
If they are required to work during their rest period, they receive additional allowances under the "mileage" system.
The dispute dates back to a directive issued by the Ministry of Finance on 3 November 2021, which sought to limit the unlimited mileage benefit to a maximum of 30 working days.
Furthermore, it excluded running allowances from being incorporated into pension and gratuity calculations.
This decision angered the running staff, who have since been engaged in prolonged protests demanding the reinstatement of their mileage benefits.
Over the past three years, the railway workers have staged multiple demonstrations, including work slowdowns and abstentions from additional duties.
However, they temporarily withdrew their protests following assurances from senior railway officials, including the former director general of Bangladesh Railway and the railways minister.
Despite continued negotiations, the Ministry of Finance reaffirmed its stance in a letter dated 23 January, maintaining that running staff are only eligible for running allowances while on duty in moving trains, and that their monthly allowance cannot exceed their basic salary.
This decision has further fuelled discontent among the workforce.
Railway Running Staff and Workers’ Association asserts that for nearly 160 years, retired railway employees had received pensions calculated by incorporating 75% of their mileage allowance into their basic salary.
However, in 2020, a decision was made to shift mileage allowances from the salary budget to the travel allowance budget, leading to the ongoing dispute.
Notably, a similar strike in April 2022 forced the government to withdraw a previous directive, allowing train operations to resume after a nationwide disruption.
Subsequent assurances by the then Railways Minister and the former Director General led to a decision in June 2023 to reinstate mileage benefits in pension calculations.
However, a Finance Ministry directive on 18 June 2023 once again objected to this practice, deepening the crisis.
Mujibur Rahman stated, “From 12:01am on 28 January, we will halt all train operations unless the Finance Ministry issues a clear directive resolving this matter. This is not a new demand—it has been in place for 160 years. Railway employees cannot accept such an abrupt policy shift.”
He also pointed out the acute staffing shortage, stating that while 2,036 running staff positions exist, only 1,036 are currently occupied.
As a result, employees are forced to perform the work of two people, naturally increasing their mileage claims.
“This is not money given for free—it is earned through hard labour,” he emphasised.
During a similar work-to-rule protest from 1 to 9 December last year, train schedules were severely disrupted, and several services had to be cancelled due to the shortage of available staff.
Railways Secretary Fahimul Islam has assured that efforts are underway to resolve the crisis.
“We are making every possible attempt to settle the salary and allowance issue of the running staff. We hope to find a solution soon,” he stated.
With no resolution in sight, Bangladesh’s railway network faces an impending shutdown, potentially causing significant disruption to passenger and freight services across the country.
