Special Note by GS IRTSA Under the Notice for CEC IRTSA Meeting Regarding Position of Demands

SPECIAL NOTE BY GS IRTSA UNDER THE NOTICE FOR CEC IRTSA MEETING REGARDING POSITION OF DEMANDS

2. MAIN DEMANDS OF IRTSA: Following main demands of IRTSA have not yet been accepted by the Government so far and the same needs to be pursued effectively at all levels:

i) a) Measures to improve Safety on Railways –

b) Recognition of Indian Railways Technical Supervisors Association (IRTSA) – (For redressal of their grievances & as Supervisors are now debarred from being Office Bearers in the Unions)

ii) Grant of higher Pay Level 8 for JEs & Level 9 for SSEs

iii) Classification of posts of Technical Supervisors (Grade Pay 4600 / Pay level-7) in Group ‘B’ Gazetted.

iv) Withdrawal of changed criteria of ‘Very Good’ and restoration of ‘Good’ as criteria for grant of financial upgradation under MACPS.

v) Inclusion of training period for the purpose of MACPS as done in departments like Ministry of Communications & IT Directorate and

vi) Revision of all Allowances w.e.f. 1-1-2017 as per new pay matrix.

3. PROPOSAL OF RAILWAY BOARD: After many years of struggle and efforts, the Railway Board had made following recommendations, for approval of MOF. These proposals, even though much short of our demands, would have provided substantial relief to thousands of stagnating Technical Supervisors – many of whom are Engineering Graduates serving in the initial grade even after 15 or even more.

Proposal of Railway Board submitted in 2010, 2013 & 2015 but not yet accepted by MOF:

i) Upgrading of 3350 posts from Group C to Group B on the Railways.

ii) Upgradation of posts of JEs to Grade Pay Rs.4600 and upgrade posts of SSE to Grade Pay Rs.4800 as per decision of the Departmental Anomalies Committee – keeping in view their higher qualifications and generous nature of duties and responsibilities as compared to Accounts, Teachers & Nurses who had been allotted higher Grade Pays.

iii) Revised Cadre of 33% JEs in GP Rs.4200, 17% SSE in Grade Pay Rs.4600 and 50% of posts in Grade Pay Rs.4800 in view of their nature of duties and responsibilities. (This, proposal of Railway Board, if accepted by MOF, would have resulted in upgrading of 29500 posts of Technical Supervisors to Grade Pay of Rs.4800).

4. It is regreted that even the above recommendations of the Railway Board to Ministry of Finance (MOF) and to the Empowered Committee had not been approved by the Ministry of Finance Expenditure. MOFE has rejected in November 2016, the Proposal of the Railway Board referred to at Sl. No. ii) above which was given as long back as in 2013, and that too on the directions of CAT Chennai, for early decision on the above proposal, as per orders of the in OA no. 706 / 2013 IRTSA-vs-UOI

5. All these issues need to be effectively pursued through a Mass Movement as well as on political levels. Your active cooperation in this regard is earnestly solicited.

6. Posts upgraded in Ordnance Factories: In a recent development,10% posts of JE & JWM (Junior Works Manager) in Ordnance Factories (earlier designated as Chargemen & Foremen) in Grade Pay Rs.4200 and Rs.4600 respectively, have been upgraded to Grade Pay Rs.4800 / Level 8 vide Ministry of Finance (MOF) OM dated 15-6-2017.

7. This is in addition to the serious disparity which was brought in earlier between the Technical  on the Railways and their counterparts in the Ordnance Factories. The posts of Chargemen and Foremen in Ordnance Factories, had all along been in the same pay scales at par with those on the Railways but a few years back, the Foremen in Ordnance Factories were redesignated as Junior Works Manager in Group B (Gazetted) in Grade Pay of Rs.4600 and the Junior Engineers over there were classified in Group B (Non-Gazetted) in the Grade Pay of Rs.4200.

SPECIAL NOTE BY GS IRTSA REG. POSITION OF DEMANDS

8. Nothing has yet been done in this regard for us. This is totally unjustified and discriminatory. We must fight against it effectively. While our demand continues to be denied for upgrading of posts to higher Pay Levels and for classification of all posts of SSE in Group B as per orders of DOP and at par with Ordnance Factories and other Central Govt. Departments, upgrading of posts in Ordnance Factories – as cited above – has furher widened the disparity.

9. We must, therefore, intensify our struggle for upgrading and implementation of orders of DOP for Group B or at least for acceptance of aforesaid recommendations of the Railway Board by the Government. Line of action for effective pursuance of these issues, needs to be decided forthwith – for pursuance of these issues with MOF, MOR directly & through MPs etc.

10. ALLOWANCES: Cabinet has approved on 28th June, 2017, the recommendations of the 7th CPC on Allowances and made them effective from 1st July, 2017 (instead of 1-1-2016). HRA has been pegged at 24% for X, 16% for Y and 8% for Z category of cities as recommended by 7th CPC, with no change therein for HRA except at lowest level. However, some improvement has been made that the Allowances will be revised when DA crosses 25% and 50% instead of 50% & 100% proposed by the 7th CPC. Please see www.irtsa.net for other details and for the formal orders which are expected to be issued soon.

11. PROPOSED LINE OF ACTION: a) Following programme is adopted with the consent of Central President IRTSA for which suggestions may please be sent early to GS IRTSA:

i) A Mass Petition will be submitted to the Govt. by signed by all Technical Supervisors on Indian Railways, in August 2017, besides any other programme as the CEC may so decide.

ii) Copies of the Petition shall be got printed by CHQ IRTSA; and handed over to CEC Members attending the CEC Meeting. (More copies of it may be got printed locally by the Units, as reqd.).

iii) All CEC Members will be requested to personally visit all Units & Subunits in their region, hold Meetings there and mobilize signature campaign on the Petition in triplicate with advance planning and publicity so as to reach maximum number of Engineers and get their signatures.

iv) One copy of the Petition shall be submitted to local HOO (Head of Office) and two copies will be sent to GS IRTSA by all CEC Members /ZS /Units & Subunits for further submission to the Govt. as per programme to be decided by CEC IRTSA.

12. The CEC meeting has been called at a very crucial time. All CEC Members & ZS are, therefore, requested to attend the CEC Meeting positively at Chandigarh on 28th July, 2017. Please get your both sides reservations done immediately for your convenience and to ensure your participation.

13. Those Units which have not yet paid the Struggle Fund or Central Quota of IRTSA for te years 2016 or 2017, are requested to pay the same to Central Treasurer IRTSA during CEC Meeting positively.

14. CGB MEETING of IRTSA: Next CGB Meeting & 52nd Annual Conference of IRTSA shall be held at New Delhi on 9th & 10th October, 2017. Please ensure MASS PARTICIPATION in the same. Detailed Notice for CGB Meeting shall be issued soon after CEC Meeting with details of program & arrangements. Hoping for the best of cooperation by all of you, with best wishes, Long live IRTSA!!

(Harchandan Singh),
General Secretary, IRTSA

Source: https://www.irtsa.net