Warning from Station Masters

2026-01-26 - 17:07

The Station Masters’ Union warns that if the prevailing issues are not resolved expeditiously, it will be compelled to resort to trade union action in accordance with the legally guaranteed trade union rights. Issuing a media release, the Union states that ongoing administrative inefficiencies within the Railway Department have caused severe inconvenience to both the travelling public and railway employees. The Union further notes that the continued delay in formulating and implementing interim provisions relevant to the essential recruitment procedures for the appointment and promotion of station masters has adversely affected both the efficiency of station masters in the performance of their duties and the morale of employees. In addition, the Union points out that, in a context where the Government has increased the disaster loan facility for public servants up to Rs. 400,000, the decision by the Railway Department to reduce this amount and grant only up to Rs. 250,000 constitutes a serious issue. The statement emphasises that this move amounts to a direct disregard of an official Government decision and represents a grave injustice to railway employees, and therefore, the Union strongly protests against it. Furthermore, the Union highlights that the travelling public continues to face increasing hardship on a daily basis due to the failure to properly plan train operations, disruptions to timetables, and operational shortcomings, and asserts that the departmental administration bears direct responsibility for this situation.