Railway Employees Bonus- Big news for railway workers. It is reported that the Union Cabinet may approve the proposal for Diwali bonus in its upcoming meeting. Government sources said that keeping in view the Diwali and festive season, the Union Cabinet may soon approve productivity-based bonus for railway employees.
Let us tell you that this bonus is mainly given to non-gazetted railway employees for their contribution and for improving the efficiency and performance of Indian Railways. Last year, around 11 lakh employees received this bonus. This not only boosted the morale of the employees but also increased the festive expenditure.
What is the detail?
According to a report, an announcement on bonuses is possible in the upcoming meeting. Meanwhile, experts believe that paying bonuses to railway employees (who represent a large consumer base in urban and semi-urban India) could directly boost domestic consumption. This move, combined with the recently implemented GST reduction, could further boost retail and consumer demand during this year’s Diwali. According to economists, such cash increases during the festive season have a multiplier effect, ensuring continued demand in the final quarter of the year.
Railway employees’ unions have also demanded this month that the government increase productivity bonus and issue a gazette notification establishing the Eighth Pay Commission. The Indian Railway Employees Federation (IREF) said that till now the bonus is being given on the basis of the Sixth Pay Commission’s minimum salary of Rs 7,000, whereas according to the Seventh Pay Commission, the minimum salary of employees is Rs 18,000.
IREF’s National General Secretary Sarvjeet Singh called this “extremely unjust.” Similarly, the All India Railway Employees Federation (AIRF) has also reiterated its demand to remove the monthly limit of Rs 7,000 in calculating bonus and increase it as per the current pay structure.