Station masters to 'gherao' Fin Ministry for salary revision

Station Masters of 68 divisions of Indian Railway will "gherao" the Union Finance Ministry on September 2 in support of their demand for grade pay revision and threatened to launch rail-roko if their demands were not met before the release of Seventh pay commission report.
The decision of "gherao" on September 2 and submission of memorandum of the demands was taken today during the bi-annual meeting of the Association of Station Masters here, National General Secretary of the Association, V N Chowdhury said.
"If the demands are not met before the report of Seventh pay commission is released, then they will take part in the countrywide strike called by central government employees on November 23 and will stage 'rail-roko'," he said.

The station masters alleged the employees who were working under them were getting the entry level scale of Rs 9,300- 34,800 with grade pay of Rs 4,200, while they were still getting Rs 5,200-20,200 with grade pay of Rs 2,800 even when they more responsibilities, he said.
Railways Ministry in 2010 had sent a proposal for revising the pay scale of station masters to Finance Ministry for approval but it has adopted a "stubborn approach" for last five years, Chowdhury said.
A eight-point proposal of their demands was passed in the meeting including revising pay scale to Rs 9,300-34,800 with grade pay Rs 4,600, giving 30 per cent safety allowance, ending three to seven days roster, residential complex for their families, washing allowance and appointment of additional station masters in centralised panel stations, he said.

Over 300 station masters from all the five divisions of Uttar Pradesh and Ambala participated in the meeting, he said.
MPs Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Tarun Vijay were chief guests in the meeting and "assured the station masters of getting their demands approved", Chowdhury said.