Eight Years Without Pay: The Long Wait for Justice of 172 Kharagpur Railway Workers

For eight long years, 172 men and women worked every day at Kharagpur Railway Station — serving tea, frying puris, carrying food trolleys, feeding thousands of passengers — and yet, they were never paid a single rupee in wages.

From April 2001 to July 2009, they showed up without fail. They worked under the scorching sun and in pouring rain.

They served steaming cups of tea and plates of food that earned revenue for others. But when it came to their own labour, there was only silence.

It would take more than two decades of courtrooms, petitions, dismissals, and heartbreak before the Calcutta High Court finally ruled on January 20, 2026, that they must be paid their dues — 100 months of wages, along with interest.

Promises That Turned Into Exploitation

The story began in 2001 when the Railways entered into a profit-sharing contract with a private firm, M/s Dynamic International.

The contractor would keep 75% of the catering earnings, while the Railways took 25%.

The 172 workers — most of them assistants to former commission vendors — were told to continue working.

They were promised permanent railway jobs. They were promised commission. They were told their future was secure.

But the promises were hollow.

When wages were demanded, the contractor said the workers were not his employees. The Railways said the responsibility lay with the contractor.

Between these two powerful institutions stood 172 poor workers with no money, no contracts, and no voice.

Survival Through Desperation

Why did they continue working for eight years without wages?

Because they believed the promises. Because they were told they would be regularised. Because they had families to feed.

And because poverty does not allow you the luxury of quitting.

With no salaries, some workers resorted to small, desperate acts just to survive. If 80 puris could be made from one kilogram of flour, they stretched it to 100.

If a serving of tea was meant to be 70 ml, they poured 50 ml. If five pieces of potato were required in a portion, they gave four. The little that remained was sold quietly to earn a few extra rupees.

They did not steal to grow rich. They bent rules to buy rice, medicine, and schoolbooks.

One tea vendor, now in his fifties, admitted with visible shame that there were days he asked passengers for money. Some helped.

Others insulted him. But hunger at home was louder than humiliation.

Another worker said they sometimes added one rupee extra to a food item priced at ₹20. “Whatever we did, we did to keep our families alive,” he said.

They were not criminals. They were cornered.

Threats and Fear

An enquiry by the Labour Enforcement Officer in 2012 confirmed that the workers’ claims were genuine.

It found that both the contractor and the Railway administration were responsible for the abnormal delay in payment.

The report also recorded that workers were threatened — warned that their identity cards would be withdrawn if they protested too much.

For years, they moved “from pillar to post.”

They approached labour authorities, tribunals, and courts. Many of their cases were dismissed on technical grounds — limitation, jurisdiction — without ever addressing the real question:

How can a man work eight years without wages?

Meanwhile, life moved on. Parents aged. Children grew up. Debts increased.

Justice, After Two Decades

Finally, Justice Shampa Dutt (Paul) of the Calcutta High Court examined the agreements, identity cards, and records.

The court rejected the argument that the workers were mere “helpers” without any formal employer-employee relationship.

Under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, the contractor was legally bound to pay wages. If he failed, the Railways, as principal employer, would have to pay and recover the amount later.

The court fixed ₹4,000 per month as minimum wages for the unpaid period. For 100 months, that amounts to ₹6.88 crore — excluding interest.

The contractor has been directed to pay within 30 days. If he does not, the Railways must step in.

The court made one thing clear: no honest worker can be denied wages for years.

A Victory, But Not a Future

Despite the judgment, most of the 172 workers still do not have permanent jobs.

When the contract with Dynamic International ended, many were left unemployed.

Some began selling tea and snacks independently on the platforms — technically illegal. The railway police often fine them.

But what option do they have at this age?

“We have families. Who will give us new jobs now?” one worker asked quietly.

Their struggle was never just about money. It was about dignity. About being seen. About not being invisible.

For eight years, they worked without wages. For more than twenty years, they fought for justice.

Their story is not merely a labour dispute. It is a reminder of how easily the poor can be exploited when they lack power — and how long justice can take when your voice is small.

But this time, their voice was finally heard.

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