Workers at the Salem railway goods shed staged a protest on Saturday against a recently introduced 24-hour work system, demanding a return to the earlier 6am-to-6pm operating schedule and action on long-pending welfare measures.
The demonstration was organised by the CITU-affiliated Salem railway goods shed loading and unloading workers’ union at the goods shed premises near the old bus stand area. A large number of workers took part in the protest, according to the report.
The workers urged the railway administration to withdraw the “round-the-clock” work order. They said the earlier arrangement, under which goods-shed operations were carried out between 6am and 6pm, should be restored.
A Govindan, secretary of the union, who led the protest, also voiced opposition to what the workers described as moves to privatise railway goods sheds through facilities and operating models including GCT, PFT and alternative goods sheds. The report did not provide further details on the specific implementation status of these models at Salem.
The protest also focused on employment-related documentation and statutory welfare provisions. The union demanded identity cards for workers and the implementation of Employees’ State Insurance and Provident Fund schemes.
Workers additionally sought basic amenities at the goods shed, including drinking water, rest rooms, bathrooms and toilets. These demands place workplace facilities alongside shift timings and employment benefits as central concerns in the dispute.
Railway goods sheds are part of the freight-handling system through which materials are loaded and unloaded for rail transport. Changes to their operating hours can affect the organisation of labour and the timing of goods-handling activity, although the source report did not specify the commodities handled at the Salem facility or the operational rationale for introducing the 24-hour order.
The union’s president, R Venkatapathi, and treasurer, P. Sakthivel, addressed the gathering and explained the workers’ demands. The report did not mention a response from the Salem railway administration or indicate whether the work order had been suspended following the protest.
The immediate points under dispute are therefore the continuation of round-the-clock operations, the future operating model for the goods shed, and the provision of formal welfare coverage and basic workplace amenities. Further action will depend on the railway administration’s response to the union’s demands.
