Govt clears 78-day wage as bonus for railwaymen

In a festival bonanza, the Union Cabinet gave its approval to pay 78-day wages as bonus to railway employees on Wednesday, the same for the fifth consecutive year.

The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the pay productivity-linked bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78-day wages to eligible non-gazetted railway employees (excluding RPF/RPSF personnel) for the financial year 2015-16.

Productivity-linked bonus is paid to about 12 lakh railway employees each year before the Dussehra festival.

The approval entails a financial implication of approximately Rs 2,090.96 crore to railways. Payment of PLB would result in motivating a large number of railway employees to improve the performance of the railways and enhance the productivity levels further besides maintaining industrial peace.

In 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 also, 78-day wages were also given as PLB to railway employees.

Welcoming the decision, All-India Railwaymen’s Federation general secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra said the bonus will motivate the employees to improve the financial position of the public transporter. Mr Mishra said, “Since the PLB ceiling has been revised to Rs 7,000 from Rs 3,500, we expect each employee will get double the amount as against the last year’s bonus.”

Last year, the minimum bonus paid was Rs 8,975 per employee. PLB covers all non-gazetted railway employees (excluding RPF/RPSF personnel) spread over the entire country.