Close to 2 months After Mega Launch, Staff Laid Off in Tejas Express

Lucknow: India’s first private commercial train, Tejas Express, is in the news, but for the wrong reasons. Close to two months after its much-hyped launch, the services of a section of its staff without any prior notice.

According to the allegations levelled by former employees of IRCTC’s vendor, Brandavan Foods, about 20 crew members working on the Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express, have been told that their services have been kept on hold, and they would be called back once the second Tejas Express starts.

Tejas Express is a semi-high-speed train, which was introduced by the Indian Railway in October this year as India’s ‘first private train’. Its infrastructure, such as coaches, are owned by the Railways, while the on-board services are handled by Railway subsidiary, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in public-private partnership mode. As per media reports, Tejas Express recorded Rs 70 lakh profit in the first month of its launch in October.

However, the staff of the fully air-conditioned train are an unhappy lot.

Zuhaib Alam, 19, who was happy with his appointment at Brandavan Foods for serving in the Tejas Express says that he has not been given any reason for the lay-off. 

“My appointment was done on October 18, 2019 through campus placement from a private institute from where I am pursuing my hotel management course. Little did I know that my happiness of getting a job will turn into a nightmare. This lay-off has given me a lesson of a lifetime,” the young graduate says.

Alam adds, “I was not called for the duty for about a week after getting appointed as a coach-in-charge at a salary of Rs 10,500 per month for shifts on every alternate day. When I enquired about it from my senior, I was called for duty. I was asked to report at the Lucknow railway station at 4:30 a.m and was relieved at 11:30 p.m.”

Narrating how people like him were mislead when they were give placement, Alam says: “While being selected, I was told that the duty will be assigned on every alternate day. Instead, I, along with another coach-in-charge and coach crew (female attendants), were called for duty for six consecutive days, and it was an 18-hour shift. We had no time to rest and think about other important things of life”.

The young job aspirant, who has just completed his hotel management course, said on November 12,  he and 19 crew members of Tejas Express, which includes 13 female members, were told that they had been kept on hold and would be called for duty once another new train starts. “When we asked when the new Tejas Express will start, the management of Brandavan Foods had no answers,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Alam is running from pillar to post to search for a new job. He has received only Rs 10,500 from Brandavan Foods, that too after a delay of about 20 days.

Avantika Bajpayi, 24, another crew member, also alleged that her services were terminated without giving any reason, She said she felt “conned”  by the IRCTC vendor.

 “I was not given the reason for the termination of my services. I was simply told that my behaviour with the passengers was not good, but surprisingly, a day before the termination of my services, I was told that I had the best behaviour. I was not even paid my salary on time and was given the money after a lot of hue and cry and that too after a delay of about two weeks,” she says. 

Narrating her ordeal, Bajpeyi says, “The crew has to rest on the train and was not being provided with any kind of restroom or lounge at the railway station. Also, the management staff used to shout and insult us even for giving an extra water bottle to passengers.” 

The former employee claimed that some sexual harassment complaints made by the female crew of Tejas Express to Brandavan Foods were also never paid any heed and the offenders were allowed to continue their duties, at times even in an inebriated condition.

Tejas Express is the first train in India to have female crew members, soe of whom have several grievances. Citing one such instance, Bajpeyi said: “Besides the layoff of 20 people from Tejas Express, the other very important issue that should immediately be addressed is the continuous harassment of female crew. A few days ago, a crew member was inappropriately touched by a senior coach attendant in the pantry car. A complaint was made to the senior officials but no action was taken, and the man was allowed to continue his duties.” 

Expressing disappointment, she says: “The girls expect cooperation and decent behaviour from their male colleagues if not passengers. The dress provided to us is see-through and female staff feel uncomfortable wearing it. Blazers or winter uniforms are yet to be provided.”

Vanshika (name changed), the victim of harassment, in a telephonic conversation with NewsClick, alleged that “a senior coach attendant touched me inappropriately many times while I was in the pantry. This man was drunk and no action was taken when I complained about it. He came for duty the next day and was again drunk. I did not go to the pantry that day and asked my other colleagues to fetch material from there, as I was too scared. She also alleged that some senior coach attendants, who have come from trains like Shatabdi and Rajdhani, have the “habit of coming on duty in a drunken state.”

Brandavan foods was yet to reply to queries made for the article by NewsClick. This article will be updated accordingly.

The IRCTC, however, has distanced itself from the issue by saying that it was related to a vendor and had nothing to do with the government. 

Interestingly, the appointment letter of these employees clearly mentions that a month's notice would be given to them in case of termination of their services but in all these 20 cases, this was not at all followed. 

It may be recalled that early this month, IRCTC had also distanced itself from the same vendor, who had advertised for jobs on caste lines, and was forced to later withdraw it after widespread outrage.