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New Delhi: Amid the ongoing IndiGo operational fiasco, loco pilots called for capping duty hours and weekly rest, citing the current aviation crisis and frequent rail accidents. IndiGo, India's largest airline, has been hit by an operational crisis that forced the airline to cancel over 1,000 flights over the past week.
The All India Loco Running Staff Association, in a statement, said that the ongoing aviation crisis should become an eye-opener for railway management. The association, which represents a large section of the running crew, said that the IndiGo controversy is not just an aviation issue but a "warning" for all high-risk industries.
Loco pilots call for duty-hour cap
The prominent loco pilot union called for a maximum of two continuous night duties; rational duty hours aligned with human physiology and adequate rest after every duty. It said that most of the probes into the rail accidents have flagged the odd working hours of the crew.
“Whether in the skies or on the rails, worker fatigue directly translates into dangers to passenger safety. Regulations based on modern sleep science are not mere 'union demands' to skip from duty. But, they are demands of safety standards," K C James, Secretary General, AILRSA, said in a statement.
“The present aviation crisis should become an eye-opener to railway management. The lives of millions of passengers depend more on the alertness of loco pilots than on airlines, because technical advancement in Railways is far inferior to airways,” he said.
'Govt kneels before large private corporations'
The loco pilot union also slammed the government over its handling of the aviation crisis, and said that every agitation by workers in any public sector or government-run industry is often met with disciplinary action and charge sheets. “But when large private corporations resist safety regulations, the government kneels before their dictums, even neglecting the safety of the system," he alleged.
