A request has been made by the Railway Station Masters’ Association to the President. The association has requested that measures be taken to restructure the Department of Railways rather than converting it into an authority.
Kasun Chamara, secretary of the association, has emphasised that the conversion of the Railway Department into an authority will lead to multiple crises within the sector.
“We, as the Railway Station Master’s Association, have expressed our views during all these discussions. We have always stated that it is better to restructure the Railway Department, rather than converting it into an authority.” He also added that railway employees will not receive funds from the treasury, but rather received based on profits earned by the railways.
Chamara further noted that salaries for 19,382 employees, as well as maintenance costs will have to be paid solely by profits. “Railway [department] has already become a loss-making institute”, he added.
