8th Pay Commission: Big Salary Hike for Railway Employees! Who Will be Benefited? 

8th Pay Commission: Good news for railway employees. The 8th Pay Commission could bring exciting news for junior engineers, senior section engineers, assistant managers, and other technical personnel within the railways. If the Indian Railway Technical Supervisor Association (IRTSA) gets its demands approved, millions of employees might experience a substantial rise in their salaries.

The organization has proposed requests such as raising the minimum basic salary to Rs 52,000, increasing the fitment factor to 4.38, a significant boost in HRA, and reinstating the old pension scheme. As a result, many employees could see their salaries double or even more than their current earnings.

Demand to raise minimum salary to Rs 52,000

IRTSA’s main request is to elevate the minimum basic salary to Rs 52,000. The organization has recommended various fitment factors for employees across different levels.

What fitment factor applies at each level?

L-1 to L-5 2.92

 

L-6 to L-8 3.50

 

L-9 to L-12 3.80

 

L-13 to L-16 4.09

 

L-17 and L-18 4.38

 

Pay-level wise job titles in Railways

Level-2 – Technician Grade-3 / Helper

 

Level-3 – Technician Grade-2

 

Level-4 – Technician Grade-1

 

Level-5 – Senior Technician / Chief Technician

 

Level-6 – Junior Supervisor / Depot Material Superintendent

 

Level-7 – Junior Engineer (JE)

 

Level-8 – Senior Section Engineer (SSE) / Section Engineer

 

Level-9 – Assistant Manager (Group-B)

 

Level-10 – Manager (Group-B) / Assistant Divisional Engineer

 

Level-11 – Senior Manager (Group-A)

 

Level-12 – Deputy Chief Engineer / Deputy Manager

 

Level-13 – Joint Chief Engineer / Senior Administrative Officer

 

Level-14 – Additional Chief Engineer / Senior Executive Officer

 

Level-15 – Chief Engineer / Principal Department Head Level Officer

 

Level-16 – Principal Chief Engineer / General Manager level officer

 

Level-17 – Railway Board Member / Apex Scale Officer

 

What could be the salary at each level?

If the IRTSA’s requests are granted in the 8th Pay Commission, employees’ basic salaries may see a considerable rise. Estimated increases over the current salary could be substantial.

What could the salary be at each level?

L-1 Current Basic Pay: Rs18,000, Anticipated new salary: Approximately Rs 52,000

 

L-6 Current Basic Pay: Rs 35,400, Anticipated new salary: Approximately Rs 1.23 lakh

 

L-7 (JE) Current Basic Pay: Rs 44,900, Anticipated new salary: Approximately Rs 1.57 lakh

 

L-8 (SSE) Current Basic Pay: Rs 47,600, Anticipated new salary: Approximately Rs 1.66 lakh

 

L-10 Current Basic Pay: Rs 56,100, Anticipated new salary: Approximately Rs 2.13 lakh

 

L-13 Current Basic Pay: Rs 1,23,100, Anticipated new salary: Approximately Rs 5 lakh

 

L-17- Current Basic Pay: Rs 2,25,000, Anticipated new salary: Approximately Rs 9.85 lakh

 

Nonetheless, the ultimate decision will rely on the recommendations from the government and the 8th Pay Commission.

 

There is also a call for an increase in HRA

IRTSA has suggested raising the house rent allowance (HRA) rates. The organization proposes categorizing cities into four groups.

 

Proposed HRA rates

 

A Class Cities: 40% + DA

 

B Class Cities: 30% + DA

 

C Class Cities: 20% + DA

 

D Class Cities: 10% + DA

 

The organization argues that the cost of living in major cities has surged significantly, making an increase in HRA essential.

 

Request for an increase in transport and night duty allowance.

IRTSA has called for a threefold rise in the transport allowance from the current rate. It has also recommended eliminating the cap on night duty allowance. The organization emphasized that railway employees should receive extra benefits to guarantee safe and timely train operations.

What demands are placed on career growth?

IRTSA wants employees to receive MACP (financial upgrades) five times within 30 years of service. It has suggested setting service periods of 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 years. It also calls for the training period of junior engineers (JEs) and senior section engineers (SSEs) to be included in the MACP calculation.

 

The Railway Technical Employees’ Association has reiterated its demand for the reinstatement of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). The organization wants employees who joined the workforce after January 1, 2004, to also receive the benefits of the OPS. It also suggests abolishing the NPS and Unified Pension Scheme (UPS).