For The Kind Attention of Sri.P.K.Sharma AM/Staff

Heart Burning Problems of

Technical Supervisors / Rail Engineers

Presented by INDIAN RAILWAYS TECHNICAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION

IRTSA08.07.2011

Presented during AM/Staff’s Visit to Chennai

Presented by INDIAN RAILWAYS TECHNICAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION

ICF - UNIT K.V.RAMESH M.SHANMUGAM

Zonal Secretary Central President

Main Demands Junior Engineers Grade Pay shall be

increased from Rs.4200 to Rs.4800. Senior Section Engineer Grade Pay shall

be increased from Rs.4600 to Rs.5400 in PB-3.

SSE, CMS, CDMS be classified as Group-B (Gazetted).

Grant of Grade Pay of Rs.5400 in PB-3 to CMS & Grade Pay of Rs.4800 in PB-2 to CMA on Indian Railways.

Junior Engineers Grade Pay Junior Engineers Grade Pay

shall be increased from shall be increased from

Rs.4200 to Rs.4800Rs.4200 to Rs.4800

SUPERVISOR & THE SUPERVISED PLACED IN SAME GRADE PAY JE & Sr.Technician both placed in same

GP of Rs.4200. This is totally in violation on principle of

natural justice as well as against the settled law (by the Apex Court) that an “equal cannot be over an equal” – in keeping with the provisions of Article 39 of the Constitution of India

SCPC recommendations violatedPara 2.2.11 of Sixth Pay Commission Report “Grade pay will determine the status of a post with

(apart from the two apex scales of Secretary / equivalent and Cabinet Secretary/equivalent that do not carry any grade pay) a senior post being given higher grade pay. Grade pay being progressively higher for successive higher posts, the employees on promotion will get monetary benefit on promotion in the form of the increased grade pay apart from the benefit of one additional increment.

Various courts rejected the existence of the

feeder & promotion posts in the same pay.

Para 2.2.2 of Sixth Pay Commission Report Although Department of Expenditure

issued orders that existence of the feeder and promotion posts in the same pay scale will not constitute an anomaly, however, these orders have consistently been rejected by the various courts of this country

SCPC evolved a system to address the anomalies

Para 2.2.2.i. of Sixth Pay Commission Report To evolve a new system of pay scales that

would effectively address most of the existing anomalies.

SCPC recommended distinct Grade Pay for JE & Sr. Technician to remove the existing anomaly of both in the same pay of Rs.5000-8000.

Upgradation not extended to Supervisors

Rightly Government upgraded the Grade Pay of Sr. Technicians to Rs.4200 – the apex scale for the Technician category.

But the upgradation was not extended to the next higher grade of JE which allows the continuation of the anomaly of Supervisor paid equal to the Supervised and promotion happening in the same scale.

Rly Board’s letter become void Railway Board letter No.E(NG)I/99/PM&/3 dated 22.5.2005, on Filling

up of JE Gr-II in Scale Rs.5000-8000 consequent upon the implementation of V Pay Commission scales of Pay.

Para 3(v) states that “The work of Sr. Technicians in grade Rs.5000-8000 will be supervised by JE Grade –I scale 5500-9000 instead of JE-II scale Rs.5000-8000.

By keeping both Sr. Technician & JE scale in the same Grade Pay the Natural Justice of “equal cannot be over an equal” is again violated.

Senior Section Engineer Senior Section Engineer Grade Pay Grade Pay

shall be increased from shall be increased from Rs.4600 to Rs.5400Rs.4600 to Rs.5400

Factors contributing to the perpetration of injustice to SSE

Higher recruitment qualification, longer initial training, higher responsibilities shouldered by these categories ignored by the 6th Pay Commission.

Existing relativity has been disturbed vis-à-vis Accounts Staff & Para-Medical (Nursing Cadre) in spite of higher qualifications and longer period of training and intensive job requirements.

Fifth CPC had denied application of multiple factor of 3.25 only to S-13 scale .

Factors contributing to the perpetration of injustice to SSE

Increase in Duties & responsibilities of Technical Supervisors due to modernization, introduction of high speed trains & numerous other factors have all been ignored

Multifaceted duties & responsibilities, stringent punishments for any shortcomings, tough selection procedure - which requires knowledge in all the fields of Railways - were not considered.

While for other categories the work has eased due to modernization, the duties and responsibilities of the Technical Supervisors had increased manifold .

Multifaceted Responsibilities

Attracts more punishment – Tough selection Technical Supervisors have multifaceted Duties & responsibilities

along with main Technical duties which decide the performance level & public face of Railways.

They are responsible to look after train & passenger safety, customer complaints, accidents, punctuality, utilization of resources and working conditions, etc.

They get stringent punishment for any lapses. Being taken up for lapses in non-technical duties also like pay

distribution, Stores procedure, Factories Act, HOER, Pass Rules, etc. Syllabus for selection to the next promotion covers all fields in

Railways right from budgeting to scrap disposal – besides of course all the technical areas.

No such accountability, punishments or tough selection procedures are there for the highly paid categories of Nurses, Teachers and Accounts

All posts of All posts of

Senior Technical Supervisors Senior Technical Supervisors

in the Grade pay of Rs.4600 in the Grade pay of Rs.4600

Senior Section Engineers (SSEs) Senior Section Engineers (SSEs) Chemical & Metallurgical Superintendents Chemical & Metallurgical Superintendents (CMS) & Stores Engineers Chief Depot Material (CMS) & Stores Engineers Chief Depot Material

Superintendents (CDMS)Superintendents (CDMS)

BE CLASSIFIED IN BE CLASSIFIED IN

GROUP B (GAZETTED)GROUP B (GAZETTED)

No Career Progression Technical Supervisors is the only category on the

Railways joining which gets just one promotion in their entire career after joining as JE (Junior Engineers) with 3 years Diploma in Engineering as recruitment qualification & 1&1/2 years of induction Training.

Those joining as SSE (Senior Section Engineers) with Engineering Degree (B.E. / B.Tech) and 1 year induction training - are not assured of even one promotion in their entire career.

Similar is the case with CMA & CMS of Lab and DMS & CDMS of Stores

Low Group-B Posts in RailwaysCENSUS OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

In the Central Government service the overall ratio of Gazetted to Non-Gazetted employees is 1:22. 

In Ministry of Railways, ratio, however, was 1:116.

CAT JUDGEMENT IGNORED CAT New Delhi - (in O.A. No: 835 of 1989, T.A. No: 199 -

Indian Railways Technical Supervisors' Association – Versus - Union of India) – had held the existing classification of Senior Technical Supervisors in Group-C as anomalous and had directed the respondents to reconsider the matter for placing the members of the Association in the (then existing) Scales of Rs.2000-3200 and Rs.2375-3500 in Group-B as has been done in the case of other Government servants like Accounts Officers (Rs.2375-3500) on Railways and Stenographers Grade Rs.2000-3200 in the Central Secretariat in the same scales. Railways did not accept the spirit of the said judgement of the CAT.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF RAILWAY ACCIDENT INUIRY

COMMITTEES & RAILWAY REFORMS COMMITTEE IGNORED Railway Accident Inquery Committees (RAIC)

had recommended for upgrading of Senior Supervisors to Group-B Gazetted

RRC (Railway Reforms Committee) had recommended that a Diploma Holder (joining as Junior Engineer) should be able to get promoted up to Junior Administrative (JA) Grade.

But it is unfortunate that the Railways did not accept either the recommendations of the RAIC or the recommendations of the RRC

RECOMMENDATIONS OF ALL THE PAY

COMMISSIONS & ORDERS OF DoPT IGNORED

Pay Commission Scale recommended for Gr-B

Tech. Supervisor’s Scale

Third CPC Maximum of the scale not less than Rs 900 but less

than Rs 1300

Rs 700-900 for then Dy.SS

Fourth CPC Maximum of not less than Rs.2900 - but less than Rs.4000

Rs 2000-3200 for then SE

Fifth CPC Maximum of pay scale is not less than Rs.9000 and

but less than Rs.13500

Rs.5500-9000 for then JE-I

Sixth CPC Posts in the GP Rs.4200 Rs.4200 GP for JE

Rs. 4600 GP for SSE

Full Board’s Decision suspended During the year 2002 Railway Board

agreed to upgrade the posts in the pre-revised scale of Rs.7450-11500 (now in Grade Pay Rs.4600 after Sixth CPC) to Group-B gazetted and directed the Establishment Directorate to make a quick review to reduce the number of streams.

But the matter did not proceed further from there onwards.

COMMITMENT TO FEDERATIONS KEPT IN

SUSPENDED ANIMATION SINCE LONG Railway Board had long back agreed and

assured the two Federations, to upgrade at least some (15%) of the posts in the pre-revised scale of Rs.7450-11500 (now in Grade Pay Rs.4600 after Sixth CPC) to Group-B Gazetted.

But the matter did not proceed further from there onwards

TALENTED YOUNGSTERS AVOIDING JOINING RAILWAYS

With virtually no career planning and hardly any avenues of promotion even till retirement, no new recruits with merit is aspiring to join the Railways as a Technical Supervisor.

This will become a major handicap for the Railways in the future thereby adversely affecting safety and efficiency on the Railways

C&M Supervisors C&M Supervisors Pay scales of CMS may please be Pay scales of CMS may please be upgraded to granted the Grade Pay upgraded to granted the Grade Pay of Rs.5400 in PB-3of Rs.5400 in PB-3CMA-ICMA-I(Pre-revised) may please (Pre-revised) may please be be upgraded as CMS in Grade pay of upgraded as CMS in Grade pay of Rs.5400/- keeping in view the Rs.5400/- keeping in view the principle adopted by the Sixth Pay principle adopted by the Sixth Pay commission vide Para 3.4.7 of the commission vide Para 3.4.7 of the Report.Report.Pay scale of CMA may please be Pay scale of CMA may please be upgraded to granted the Grade Pay upgraded to granted the Grade Pay Rs.4800Rs.4800

PRINCIPALLE SET FORTH BY SIXTH CPC & ACCEPTED BY THE

GOVERNMENT – IGNORED IN CASE OF CMA-I(Pre-revised) Vide Para 3.4.7 of Sixth pay commission recommended

that “all posts in Subordinate Engineering cadres carrying minimum qualifications of a degree in engineering and having an element of direct recruitment should be placed in the running Pay Band PB-2 of Rs 8700-34800 (since improved by GOI as Rs.9300-34800) along with the grade pay of Rs.4600 corresponding to the pre-revised pay scale of Rs.7450-11500.”

This recommendation of the Sixth Pay Commission has been overlooked in the case of CMA-I(Pre-revised) who have a minimum recruitment qualifications of a Degree in Engineering but are placed in PB-2 Grade Pay of Rs 4200 instead of Grade Pay 4600 corresponding to the pre-revised pay scale of Rs.7450-11500..

DISTURBANCE OF EXISTING RELATIVITY BY

SIXTH PAY COMMISSION It is unfortunate that both 5th and 6th pay commissions had

undermined the significance and sensitiveness of the work content of the C&M Supervisors, their duties, responsibility and accountability in the system. Many important factors and criteria like ‘higher professional qualifications’, ‘greater responsibilities’, ‘efficiency’ as well as ‘accountability towards safety’ of the Railways were just ignored by the Fifth and Sixth Pay Commissions.

C&M Supervisors have been placed even below the supporting staff like the Nurses, Teachers and Accounts Staff – (which were earlier in lower pay scales - but were placed even two grades higher than the C&M Supervisors) Thereby, not only disturbing the existing relativity but seriously undermining their role and status.

Thank YouPresented by

K.V.RameshZonal Secretary / IRTSA,ICFrameshirtsa@yahoo.co.in, 09003149578, 09444100842

Er.M.ShanmugamCentral President/IRTSANo.4, 6th Street, TVS Nagar, Padi,CHENNAI – 50. Mobile: 09443140817cpirtsa@yahoo.com