Unequal fixation of pay.

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While fixing pay for th running staff, the virtual pay of thity percent is added along with DA/DP and rounded off. The practice is in vogue right from the 1st PC. This leads to x2.12 fitment as against the 6th PC interest of x1.86 in general now. Apart from this, the usual norm of thirty percent addition is given in DA in the new pay. Hence in the beginning itselff there is difference of as good as fifty percent DA apart from the 15% hike in the basic pay over and above the non-running staff. Overall result is about 65% more DA for running staff compared to others. Thus pay of the running staff jump up in leaps and bounds after each pay revision. (In  fact error in the method of calculation is blissfully condoned by the admninistration.)  In practice every other employee in open line have the onus of responsibility as good as any of the running staff and every other cadre have the occupational hazards too. Even a booking/parcel/ goods clerk has the responsibility of dispensing the qeue and risk of loosing the money and also bearing public complaints too. A signal technician has to walk alongside the track to keep the circuits in good fettle. Engineering track-man turmoil in the burning sun to keep up the alignment whereas on night Patrolling he walks 20 kms at night in inclement weather to protect the track . A shunting Driver is totally guided by the Pointsman/Shunting Master to move his loco at walking speeds; but average mileage of 15 kms per hour goes to Loco Pilot only. An SM has to perform multifarious activities at the one and the same time related to safety, punctuality and productivity along with passenger amenities; but deprived of any extra incentives. Hence the extra incentive given to the running staff in the name of pay element* of running allowance should be extended to all open line staff also; be it under any name. The running staff is also eligible for kilometer allowance as mileage, for the distance run by them; in lieu of Travel Allowance. And the method of allocating higher pay by virtue of fixation to running staff alone has to be made common to all by including enhanced percentage of pay, be it in the name of risk allowance for open line staff.

N.B> Running allowance for running staff (Loco Pilot, Guard) consists  of two parts > one is mileage - that is the kilometerage allowance or mileage given in lieu of travel allowance for the kilometer traversed by the running staff ;  and the other is Pay Element - that the basic is pay deemed to be (considered as) 30% more than the original pay which is taken for all benefits including loan eligibility and Pass benefits. But this 30% is virtual pay only and it will not find place in the pay bill or anywhere else. And this is what the greatest bluff put on by the administration upon open line employees.

About the Author

J J Vellara

Station Master. 

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