As per reports, the financial implication of payment of 78 days’ PLB to railway employees has been estimated to be Rs.2044.31 crore.
The wage calculation ceiling prescribed for payment of PLB to the eligible non-gazetted railway employees is Rs.7000/- p.m. The maximum amount payable per eligible railway employee is Rs.17,951 for 78 days.
About 11.91 lakh non-gazetted Railway employees are likely to benefit from the decision.
The Productivity Linked Bonus on Railway covers all non-gazetted railway employees (excluding RPF/RPSF personnel) who are spread over the entire country.
The payment of PLB to eligible railway employees is made each year before the Dussehra/Puja holidays.
The decision of the Cabinet shall be implemented before the holidays for this year as well. For the year 2017-18 PLB equivalent to 78 days’ wages will be paid which is expected to motivate the employees for working towards improving the performance of the Railways.
Railways were the first departmental undertaking of the Government of India wherein the concept of PLB was introduced in the year 1979-80. 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’.
The Central government employees are now waiting for the hike in Dearness Allowances (DA). The CG employees are presently getting 12 per cent DA, which was implemented last in January 2019.
Now, these employees are waiting for the DA announcement for the second half of the year 2019, which they were expecting in July 2019.
While the CG employees are expecting 5 per cent DA hike for the H-2 2019, media reports are making rounds that the DA announcement may get delayed till September 2019.
However, reports are also there the DA announcement may be made this month as the government is in no mood to delay the DA, at least, for the CG employees whose minimum pay hike demand is yet to be considered.
On the other hand, the demand of the Central government for a hike in the minimum pay continues. While reports were in the past that the Modi government would consider the demand at the earliest, the government is yet to take any decision in this regard.
Coming to the minimum pay hike demand by the Central government employees, they have been demanding Rs 8000 hike in their present basic pay. They are presently getting a minimum pay of Rs 18,000, but demanding to increase it to Rs 26,000.