PLB-Railways is likely to announce 78-day wages as bonus for its employees for the year 2011-12

Railways likely to declare 78-day bonus before Dusshera

NEW DELHI: Despite financial crunch, railways is likely to announce 78-day wages as bonus for its employees for the year 2011-12.

“The proposal for declaring 78-day productivity linked bonus (PLB) for railway employees is being finalised and it would be taken up by the Cabinet on October 18 for a final decision,” said a senior Railway Ministry official.

Payment of Productivity-Linked Bonus to eligible railway employees is made each year before the Dusshera.

Railway unions have demanded 80-day bonus for this year as Railways had given the 78-day bonus to its employees last year also.

“We have written to the Railway Minister C P Joshi seeking 80-day bonus this year as against that of last year,” said an office-bearer of All-India Railwaymens’ Federation.

Over 12.60 lakh non-gazetted railway employees will benefit from the Cabinet decision on the productivity linked bonus this festival season.

Given the finacial constraint, railways would be hard-pressed to give more bonus than the last time, said the official adding “a final decision will be taken by the Cabinet.”

Though there are a total of 13.26 lakh railway employees, 1.26 lakh are not covered under the PLB.

The financial implication of payment of 78 days’ PLB to railway employees has been estimated to be over Rs 1000 crore. The wage calculation ceiling prescribed for payment of PLB to the eligible non-gazetted railway employees is Rs 3,500 per month.

Source: www.economictimes.indiatimes.com
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