Union Cabinet Approves 78-Day Productivity Linked Bonus For Over 11 Lakh Railway Employees

In a major announcement, the Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given the green light for the payment of a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days of wages for eligible railway employees. The total bonus amount of Rs 2,028.57 crore will be distributed among 11,72,240 railway staff, according to an official statement released by the government.The bonus, which recognises the exceptional performance of Railway employees, will benefit various categories of staff, including Track Maintainers, Loco Pilots, Train Managers (Guards), Station Masters, Supervisors, Technicians, Technician Helpers, Pointsmen, Ministerial staff, and other Group C employees."The payment of PLB acts as an incentive to motivate railway employees to further improve the performance of Indian Railways," the statement added.ALSO READ | Mark Zuckerberg Surpasses Jeff Bezos To Become World's Second Richest Person. Check His Net WorthThis yearly bonus is traditionally paid before the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays. For 2023, the bonus will be equivalent to 78 days' wages, with the maximum payable amount set at Rs 17,951 per eligible employee.The government highlighted the strong performance of Indian Railways in 2023-2024, with a record freight loading of 1,588 million tonnes and nearly 6.7 billion passengers transported. Factors contributing to this achievement include significant infrastructure development driven by increased government investment, improved operational efficiency, and the adoption of new technology.However, not all railway unions are satisfied. Several unions have launched a social media campaign on platform X, calling for productivity-linked bonuses to be calculated based on the Seventh Pay Commission rather than the Sixth.The Indian Railway Employees Federation (IREF) had previously written to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in support of this demand, but claim they have yet to receive a response from the government. The unions' campaign began on Thursday to press their demand for revised bonus calculations.ALSO READ | 'I Can't Allow My Employees To...': Zoho Corp's Sridhar Vembu On Toxic Work Culture