Non-Gazetted Railway employees
gets 78 Days Bonus
The Union Cabinet chaired
by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today gave its ex-post facto
approval for the payment of Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78
days’ wages for the financial year 2013-14 to all eligible non-gazetted Railway
employees.
The financial
implication of payment of 78 days’ PLB to railway employees has been estimated
to be Rs. 1063.38 crores. The wage calculation ceiling prescribed for payment
of PLB to eligible non-gazetted Railway employees is Rs. 3500/- p.m. About
12.60 lakh non-gazetted Railway employees are likely to benefit from the
decision. The PLB on Railway covers all non-gazetted Railway employees
(excluding RPF/RPSF personnel) throughout the country. This year also, PLB
equivalent to 78 days’ wages has been paid as a special case to motivate
employees.
Background
The Railways were the
first departmental undertaking of the Government of India where the concept of
PLB was introduced. The main consideration at that time was the important role
of the Railways as an infrastructural support in the performance of the economy
as a whole. In the overall context of Railway working, it was considered
desirable to introduce the concept of PLB as against the concept of Bonus on
the lines of the Payment of Bonus Act -1965. Even though the Payment of Bonus
Act does not apply to the Railways, yet the broad principles contained in that
Act were kept in view for the purpose of determining the “Wage/Pay Ceiling”,
definition of ‘Salary’/’Wage’, etc. The PLB Scheme for the Railways came into
force from the year 1979-80 onwards and was evolved in consultation with the
two recognised federations, the All India Railwaymen’s Federation and National
Federation of Indian Railwaymen and with the approval of the Cabinet. The
scheme envisages a review every three years.
Source: PIB
