Railwaymen likely to get 78-day bonus

Railway employees are likely to be given 78-day wages as <g data-gr-id="15">productivity-linked</g> bonus (PLB) for the fiscal 2014-15, the same as in the last three years, despite the financial crunch.

The proposal to give <g data-gr-id="19">78-day</g> bonus to railwaymen is likely to come up at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, sources said. If the Cabinet decides for a 78-day bonus then about 12 lakh railway employees will get about Rs 8,897 crore as <g data-gr-id="18">bonus</g> this month, they said.

There will be about 11 lakh railway employees who will get the benefit of PLB and it is estimated to cost more than Rs 800 crore to the public transporter. In 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 also, 78-day wages were given as PLB to railway employees.

<g data-gr-id="17">Bonus</g> is paid to employees each year before Dussehra. However, General Secretary of National Railway Federation of Indian Railwaymen M Raghavaiah said “We are demanding to increase the ceiling of Rs 3,500 per month as Labour Ministry has also advocated for the hike in bonus and we have written to Prime Minister for this.