New Delhi: The Indian Railway Technical Supervisors’ Association (IRTSA) has urged the 8th Pay Commission (8th CPC) to adopt a completely different approach to salary revision for railway technical employees. Breaking away from the uniform fitment formula used in earlier pay commissions, the association has proposed a graded system with separate fitment factors for different employee levels.
The recommendation comes at a time when lakhs of central government employees and pensioners are closely tracking developments related to the 8th Pay Commission and possible salary revisions.
In its memorandum to the 8th Pay Commission, IRTSA argued that a single fitment factor does not adequately address the varying responsibilities and working conditions across employee categories. The association has instead proposed five separate fitment multipliers covering different pay levels.
The Proposed Fitment Factors Are:
- Level 1-5 — 2.92
- Level 6-8 — 3.50
- Level 9-12 — 3.80
- Level 13-16 — 4.09
- Level 17-18 — 4.38
According to the association, adopting different multipliers would help create a fairer and more balanced pay structure for employees across junior, middle and senior grades. Under the 7th Pay Commission, all central government employees received salary revisions using a uniform fitment factor of 2.57.
Separate Wage Structure For Railway Technical Supervisors
IRTSA has also recommended a revised cadre framework for technical supervisors working in the Railways. The proposed structure includes significantly higher starting salaries for various positions.
The suggested pay structure includes:
- Junior Engineer – Level-7 – Rs 1,57,400
- Senior Section Engineer (Gr-B) – Level-8 – Rs 1,66,800
- Assistant Manager (Gr-B) – Level-9 – Rs 2,01,600
- Manager (Gr-B) – Level-10 – Rs 2,13,000
- Senior Manager (Gr-A) – Level-11 – Rs 2,57,000
IRTSA has said that technical supervisors in Railways should have a five-grade pay structure similar to that followed in CPSEs such as ONGC.
“The wages of technocrats, especially those in Railways, should be fixed separately from those of non-technocrat employees with a view to adequately compensate them for hazards/job requirements, additional working hours and peculiar conditions of service,” says IRTSA in its memorandum.
Apart from salary revision, the association has also sought changes in the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme. IRTSA has proposed five financial upgrades during a 30-year service period. According to the proposal, employees should receive financial upgradation after completing 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 years of service.
IRTSA further stated that employees in safety category posts within the Ministry of Railways should receive higher indexing of fitment factors from Level 6 onwards because of the nature of their duties and responsibilities.
How The Proposed Fitment Factors Could Impact Salaries
The fitment factor is the multiplier used by pay commissions to calculate revised basic salaries for government employees. If the new proposal is accepted, salary revisions for railway technical employees could see a substantial jump.
For instance:
- A Level 1-5 employee earning Rs 20,000 basic pay could see revised pay rise to Rs 58,400 using a 2.92 fitment factor.
- A Level 6-8 employee with a Rs 45,000 basic salary could receive Rs 1,57,500 after applying the proposed 3.50 multiplier.
- A Level 13-16 employee drawing Rs 1,20,000 basic pay could see a revised salary increase to Rs 4,90,800 using the proposed 4.09 factor.
