In the wake of the recent attack on a Kaduna-bound train by terrorists, some employees of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) are expressing concern about their safety at work, especially when train service resumes.
The most apprehensive is the train crew which includes cleaners, guards, and drivers among others, and it may require more than regular payment of their meagre monthly salaries to keep them in the service..
Some NRC staff who spoke off-the-record said the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train was the climax of the challenges that the staff of the cooperation is facing.
Two cleaners onboard were among those killed by terrorists who attacked the train eight days ago while the driver of the train was among those kidnapped.
When asked if the situation will affect the morale of workers, a staff of the cooperation said:
“For now we cannot ascertain. It is only when we resume, but I believe it will be from the side of the cleaners because, if you ask me, those cleaners working from Kaduna to Abuja, their lives are in danger because they are the ones following the train every day even at night, and there is no insurance and welfare for them.
“Now that their members are being killed, they wouldn’t see the motivation to continue. Some of them will quit the job”.
The cleaners are paid between N18,000 to N22,000 monthly, a remuneration considered “too poor” when they also do not have any form of insurance cover.
The source said all train crew, including the drivers, may now demand for insurance cover before they will resume work..
“This is what we have been fighting for that they should increase our salaries and insure us. At least for the working train crew who are exposed to situations like this,” he said.
This website learnt that aside from the two cleaners (male and female ) killed, the terrorists had abducted the train’s driver, identified as Sani and a vendor on board also identified as Jessy.
The Corporation, on April 4, said no fewer than 22 passengers were still missing while 186 had been confirmed safe. It also said that its officials contacted 146 phone numbers on the manifest but some were either switched off, not reachable or ringing with no response.
Terrorists had attacked the Kaduna inbound train from Abuja on March 28 with 362 passengers on board. The bandits, some of who were said to be teenagers, detonated explosives to derail the train in order to carry out the kidnap of VIPs.
In the process, train coaches were destroyed, eight people killed; 26 were injured and an unknown number were abducted.
Staff Demand 95% Salary Increase
However, while the NRC is working to rebuild the coaches destroyed and resume the train service, staff are looking forward to a 95 percent increase in wage promised by the management of the Corporation.
Another staff of the NRC revealed: “Last year, towards November and December, that is, after that attack — Even before the attack, we have been fighting for salary increase. So, after the protest, they said they will give us a 95 per cent increase.
“During the protest, our complaint was not only salary but welfare, housing and the insurance of staff; if not all the staff, but the working staff on the train and those that work on the tracks because they are endangering their lives, and they can be attacked.
“They promised to implement it in this first quarter but the first quarter has passed and nothing has been done”.
This website learnt that part of the benefits of railway staff is housing due to the demand of the job, but many staff, including officers, are made to stay in fibre-made houses constructed for a temporary stay.
The staff complained that the houses given to them were not conducive for human habitation due to the heat they emit. In many cases, staff are made to share the rooms in pairs or in some cases three individuals take a space.
“We have housing but it is very small. It is only those in the metro that have a quarter with about 200 houses,” a member of the staff said, pointing towards a direction where the quarter is located.
The staff continued, “This is a place that has like two rooms in a block and they lock it up with nobody living in it, yet we are asked to stay in a place where Chinese people stayed when they started building this rail track many years ago”.
The Regional Manager, NRC, Pascal Nnoli was reached on the matter, but he said the cooperation had a single channel of communication, and will not comment on the matter due to its sensitivity and timing.
SOURCE: TheWhistler
