7th Pay Commission Allowance: All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) in an official note to the Chairman and CEO, Railway Board, has sought withdrawal of upper pay ceiling for entitlement of Night Duty Allowance (NDA)
All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) in an official note to the Chairman and CEO, Railway Board, has sought withdrawal of upper pay ceiling for entitlement of Night Duty Allowance (NDA). Night Duty Allowance is claimed by the Essential Train Running, Operating and Maintenance Staff for performing night duty, work of whom revolves around Train Operation, Safety, Maintenance etc under 7th CPC. AIRF said the upper ceiling of Rs 43,600 for entitlement of night duty allowance by the railways staff be removed immediately.
“All the non-gazetted staff who are booked to perform night duty for round the clock train operation, irrespective of category, cadre, department, should be allowed to claim Night Duty Allowance without any upper pay ceiling, and orders of recovery should also be withdrawn forthwith,” said Shiva Gopal Mishra in a letter addressed to the Railway Board Chairman on Tuesday.
It further mentioned that in case any upper pay ceiling is imposed, a large number of such staff shall be thrown out of the purview of entitlement of Night Duty Allowance and will cause serious resentment and unrest among them, resulting in lot of repercussions.
Night Duty Allowance (NDA) is granted to certain specified categories of employees for performance of duty between 10pm and 6am. Presently, each hour of night work earns extra ten minutes of day work. There are demands to grant Night Duty Allowance between 6 pm and 6am and for doubling of rates by equating each hour of night work to extra twenty minutes of day work.
This allowance was dealt extensively by Justice NM Miabhoy (Retd. Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court) Tribunal, which is also known as Railway Labour Tribunal, 1969 and the present dispensation is based on the recommendation of the said Tribunal.
Below is the summary of the decisions reached upon by the AIRF.
1) The demand of the Federation that NDA should be granted to all Railway Employees, irrespective of their classification/irrespective of pay limit, which is, at present imposed, is granted.
2) The demand for calculation of NDA, at the rate of one and a half times ordinary normal pay, is rejected.
3) The demand “Normal Rate of Pay” should include, not only Dearness Allowance, but also Compensatory Allowance (other than house rent) is also granted.
4) The demand of the Federation that, Dearness Allowance, as revised/reviewed from time to time, should be included for calculation of ordinary rate of pay is granted too.
