In a record twelfth year in row, Indian Railways is slated to give 78-day bonus to over 11 lakh employees before Dussehra.

The national transporter had given productivity-linked bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days of wage to eligible non-gazetted railway employees for the last 11 years.

The wage calculation ceiling prescribed for payment of PLB to the eligible non-gazetted railway employees is Rs 7,000 per month. The 78-day pay packet is likely to be Rs 17,951 for an eligible railway employee.

The Railway Board has put forward the proposal of a 78-day bonus to the Centre, and the Union cabinet is slated to approve it this week.

The bonus for the financial year 2021-22 will benefit about 1.156 million non-gazetted railway employees. An expenditure of nearly Rs 2,000 crore will be incurred on this.

However, railway unions were expecting a bit more bonus this year than the usual 78-day pay.

National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) general secretary M Raghvaiah in a letter to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has requested for more days of wages towards payment PL bonus than the previous years in order to motivate all sections of railway employees to continue to work with greater determination for achieving many more milestones.

"The Indian Railways have performed significantly in freight loading during the year 2021-22. The freight loading achieved during the year 2021-22 was over 1,418 million tonnes. This significant performance of railways has been on account of dedication and devotion on the part of railway employees," the letter said.

NFIR has pointed out that on account of non-filling of over 2 lakh posts, the existing rail workforce has taken that additional burden and performed very efficiently which paved the way for generating more earnings.  

The railway employees are hoping that the government would announce payment of PL bonus higher than previous years this time in the light of best ever performance of Indian Railways and see that payment is made before commencement of Dussehra, NFIR said.