Railway unions have suggested a new fitment factor under the 8th Pay Commission.
Indian Railway Technical Supervisors Association (IRTSA) has proposed a major change in the salary revision under the 8th Pay Commission (8th CPC). Unlike most employee and pension bodies, which have proposed a single fitment factor as per the 8th Pay Commission, the Railway Association has suggested different fitment factors for different levels of employees, ranging from 2.92 to 4.38. IRTSA has submitted its recommendations to the 8th Pay Commission, suggesting that the government should move away from the ‘one fitment factor for all’ approach adopted in previous pay commissions. Instead, it has proposed five different fitment factors depending on the salary level of the employees. According to the association, this approach will create a more balanced salary structure between lower, mid and senior level employees.
IRTSA proposed these 5 fitment factors to 8th CPC
Proposal for new cadre structure for technical supervisors
IRTSA has also suggested a new cadre structure for Technical Supervisors, in which the starting salary will be as follows…
IRTSA in its memorandum has said that there should be a five-grade salary structure available for the category of Technical Supervisors in Railways, as is the case in CPSEs (ONGC). IRTSA has said in its memorandum that the salaries of technocrats, especially those working in the Railways, should be fixed separately from non-technocrat employees. This is so that they can receive fair compensation for the hazards/requirements of the work, long working hours and special conditions of the job.
Career advancement of railway technical employees
IRTSA has demanded that under the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP), an employee should get financial upgradation five times in 30 years of service. According to IRTSA, financial upgradation under MACP should be given after completion of 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 years of service.
Salary structure for technical supervisors of railways
IRTSA has proposed that the salary structure for technical supervisors of Railways should be such that it properly reflects the wide variation in duties and responsibilities of different posts. Therefore, multiple fitment factors should be adopted for different levels of employees. IRTSA says that in the Ministry of Railways, higher indexing of fitment factor should be adopted for safety category posts, starting from Level 6.
What is fitment factor?
Fitment factor is a multiplier used by the Pay Commission to revise the basic salary of central government employees. Under the 7th Pay Commission, a fitment factor of 2.57 was used for all employees. This means that the new salary was arrived at by multiplying the existing basic salary by 2.57.
How much can the salary increase?
Let us try to explain to you with an example how the proposed fitment factors can work for technical staff of Railways…
Level 1-5 Employees: If the existing basic pay of an employee is Rs 20,000 and the proposed fitment factor is 2.92, then his revised salary will be Rs 20,000 × 2.92 = Rs 58,400.
Level 6-8 Employees: If the existing basic pay is Rs 45,000 and the proposed fitment factor is 3.50, then the revised salary will be Rs 45,000 × 3.50 = Rs 1,57,500.
Level 13-16 Employees: If the existing basic pay is Rs 1,20,000 and the proposed fitment factor is 4.09, then the revised salary will be Rs 1,20,000 × 4.09 = Rs 4,90,800.
