Railway employees union demands productivity-linked bonus on the basis of 7th pay commission, ETHRWorld

New Delhi: Indian Railway Employees Federation (IREF) has written to the railways demanding an enhancement in the productivity-linked bonus (PLB) that the workers get every year ahead of the festive season. The railways pay PLB, which is equivalent to 78 days’ wages, to all non-gazetted employees (Group C and Group D) as an incentive to increase productivity and ensure safety. The PLB is calculated on the basis of the minimum salary paid to the lowest grade (Group D) employees. The IREF has argued that though the railways implemented the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission on January 1, 2016, yet the PLB has still been calculated and paid based on the minimum salary fixed by the 6th Pay Commission.

The minimum salary paid to Group D employees in the 6th Pay Commission was only Rs 7000 while it was enhanced to Rs 18,000 in the 7th Pay Commission.

According to the Federation, all employees of Group C and Group D get only Rs 17,951 which is calculated on the basis of Rs 7000 as the minimum monthly salary.

They have demanded that it should be raised to Rs 46,159 considering the minimum salary under the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

“During Covid-19, when a countrywide lockdown was imposed and people were scared to come out of their houses, railway employees…