MUMBAI, June 8: Over 700 motormen of both the Central and the Western rAILWAY will not operate the local trains on June 11. Protesting the recommendations of the fifth central pay commission they have decided to resort to mass casual leave agitation of one day.

Sources said they resorted to the extreme step after repeated reminders and requests sent to the higher authorities as well as new Prime Minister I K Gujral failed to elicit any response. They had stated that the recommendations of the commission are not in the interests of the railway motormen.The commission had recommended formation of a new grade after the merger of two grades of motormen. This, according to the motormen, does not in anyway help them carry out the most important responsibility of transporting Mumbaiites everyday.

``There are presently two grades in the motormen cadre: Rs 1600 - Rs 2660 and Rs 1640 - Rs 2900. The commission has merged the grades and made it Rs 5500 - Rs 9000. No motorman will benefit from the proposal as instead of a pay hike, it may amount to reduction in salaries,'' said a motorman requesting anonymity.If the proposal of the commission is accepted by the union ministry, motormen will not be able to avail of any hikes in salaries till the next planning commission meets to make a new report after a long period of ten years, he added.

Meanwhile, sources informed that almost 80 percent of the motormen have filled in their casual leave applications and are geared up to stop the trains on Wednesday morning if the union ministry does not assure them that the recommendations will not be accepted.The motormen are being "morally" supported by few other unions even as uncertainty prevails on the fate of agitation.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.