The Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has got its first trade union eight years after its launch, promising not to organise anti-people agitations, but to focus only on employee welfare activities.

The organisation – Kochi Metro Employees' Union (KMEU) – was inaugurated by the Kerala Labour Minister T P Ramakrishnan on Monday. It claims to be an apolitical outfit, but the presence of T P Ramakrishnan and K Chandran Pillai, two senior leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), at the ceremony gave indication that KMEU is indeed a left-leaning outfit.

What sets KMEU apart is its promise not to resort to anti-people agitations and thus emerge as a role model to other worker's outfits. "We will not disrupt public transport," J Jayalal, president, KMEU, told Onmanorama on Tuesday. "We will abide by Kochi Metro's policy that hartals will not affect its services."

Trade unions in Kerala have long been criticised for organising unwanted strikes and hartals, despite spearheading many agitations to protect workers' rights.

Co-operative society on the anvil

As many as 200 employees have attended KMEU's first general body meeting on April 26. Kochi Metro has 600 employees in non-executive cadres such as peons, drivers, technicians, section engineers, junior engineers, assistant chief controllers, traffic controllers and train operators.

Jayalal, who is a train operator, said only permanent KMRL employees will be given membership. "Our by-law permits even the executive staff to be members of the union. We hope that more staff will join us soon."

Contract workers at KMRL, including Kudumbashree members and transpeople, are members of another organisation.

Jayalal and his team have been preparing the ground for union formation since 2018. The first step was to hold discussions with the company's human resources department. "Our aim was to set up a common platform for the KMRL staff. Our future plans include starting a cooperative society and organising arts and sports meet," he said.

Commissioned on June 17, 2017, Kochi Metro heralded a tectonic shift in mass transit system in Kerala. Initially it had services from Aluva to Palarivattom. Last year, the Metro's services were extended to Maharaja's College. Now, it has 16 stations in an 18-km stretch. Five more stations are likely to be operational soon.