Voice of Rail Engineers Official Journal of INDIAN RAILWAYS TECHNICAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION Vol. 11 Issue – 5 & 6, September-December, 2018, Price: Rs.20 Each, Annual Subscription:100 53RD ALL INDIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE & CGB MEETING OF IRTSA HELD IN STYLE & GRANDEUR AT BENGALURU - HOSTED BY RWF UNIT MINUTES OF 53RD ALL INDIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE He thanked both the Federations NFIR and AIRF for & CGB MEETING OF IRTSA HELD ON 25TH& 26TH extending their fullest support to all genuine demands of OCTOBER 2018 AT RAIL WHEEL FACTORY, IRTSA. He briefed about main demands like, Higher Pay BENGALURU Level, Grant of Group „B‟ (Gaz), anomalies in MACPS, 1) 53rd All India Annual Conference & CGB meeting of revision of Incentive, etc. Indian Railways Technical Supervisors Association 7) Address by Com. S.G.Mishra GS/AIRF: In his lengthy (IRTSA) was held on 25th & 26th October 2018 at address Com. S.G.Mishra GS/AIRF narrated his long Employees Institute, West Colony, Rail Wheel Factory, association with IRTSA. He said that he became member Yelahanka, Bengaluru. The grand annual event was well of IRTSA under the guidance of Harchandan Singh from organized by the host Zone IRTSA / Rail Wheel Factory. the day he joined as Apprentice Mechanic in Northern Over 200 Delegates, Office Bearers & active Members of Railways, from then onwards „I am part and parcel of IRTSA participated in the meeting. IRTSA‟ he said. He remembered 1974 Railway Strike 2) Flag Hoisting: On 25th October at 10.00 AM, Er. where he and Harchandan Singh were jailed in Lucknow M.Shanmugam Central President IRTSA hoisted IRTSA along with others. He said that IRTSA played a very vital flag amidst the slogans of “Rail Engineers Unity Zindabad” role for the success of the strike. He said that even after & “IRTSA Zindabad”. formal withdrawal of strike, it was not withdrawn in Bikaner 3) Welcome on behalf of Hosts: Er. Mruthyunjaya Bapat, workshop, until jailed Senior Supervisors were released Zonal Secretary IRTSA RWF, Er.Dayananda Rao, Staff from the Jail. IRTSA in its many ups and downs supported Council Member and Er.Kushala Kumar welcomed the AIRF with fairness and never functioned as a rival delegates from all over the country. organization. IRTSA has always supported AIRF with its 4) Inauguration: Com. Shiv Gopal Mishra, General logical arguments not only for the cause of Technical Secretary / AIRF inaugurated the CGB by lighting the Supervisors, but for the entire Railway men, he said. Kuthuvilakku (Lamp). Speaking on the main issues of Technical Supervisors GS 5) Inaugural address by President IRTSA: Shri AIRF said that SSE is the worst affected category in M.Shanmugam welcomed all the delegates and Com. Railways, they didn‟t get any pay hike in any of the pay S.G.Mishra, GS/AIRF. He said that, he is addressing for commission or anything out of cadre restructure. Joint 22nd time in the All India Annual Conference & CGB of committee of Railway Board initially agreed for placing IRTSA as Central President of this glorious organization. 30% of SSE to Group „B‟, which was reduced to 15%, He recalled meetings with CRBs and Members of Railway subsequently to 3335 posts. Even upgradation of meager Board happened many times. He fondly remembered many 3335 posts was not handled by Railway Board properly in meetings with the then CRB Shri V.K.Agarwal. He also getting the approval from Finance Ministry. 7th CPC had thankfully remembered his acquaintance with stalwarts of not rendered justice by refusing Group „B‟ for SSE, he labour movements like Shri Keshav Kulkarni, Shri J. P. added that instead of deunionizing SSE, Railways should Chaubey, Shri Umraomul Purohit, etc. He said that he is classify them as Group „B‟. Incentive committee has very much thankful to Dr. M.Raghavaiah GS/NFIR & Com. proposed only 1.2 times of existing incentive rates, which S.G.Mishra GS/AIRF for extending their fullest support for is not acceptable to AIRF and said that AIRF will put its IRTSA and for the cause of Technical Supervisors. He fullest effort to get the rates of incentive revised and to get expressed his fullest hope to get very good result from the 30% of basic pay as incentive for SSEs. He also Incentive Committee, with three SSEs as its members i.e. appreciated the hard work put up by Shri L.N.Pathak, Com. S.G.Mishra, Com. L.N.Pathak and Shri K.Gobinath. Patron IRTSA as member of the incentive committee. He 6) Welcome address by GS/IRTSA: Er. Harchandan cautioned that Railway Board may not concede the Singh, GS/IRTSA in his inaugural speech emotionally Continued on page – 3 remembered the long Journey of IRTSA since 1965. He IRTSA WISHES TECHNICAL SUPERVISORS said that the objective of uniting the Technical Supervisors RAIL ENGINEERS AND ENTIRE RAILWAY MEN / Rail Engineers all over Indian Railways under one & THEIR FAMILY A umbrella is achieved by IRTSA and is striving for the better HAPPY &PROSPEROUS YEAR 2019 service conditions and emoluments of the category. Voice of Rail Engineers – (Previously Published as“THE RAIL SUPERVISOR”) Editor-in-Chief: Er. Harchandan Singh, GS / IRTSA CHQ: 32, Phase-6, Mohali, Chandigarh – 160055Email - [email protected] (Mob: 9316131598) Multifarious Website- www.irtsa.net Chairman Editorial Board, Er. M. Shanmugam, President / IRTSA Manager: K.V.Ramesh, G3 – Likith Homes, 3, Lakshmanan Nagar West Street, Peravallur, Chennai – 600082.Mobile:09003149578. Email: [email protected]. “SUCCESS COMES TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE” Voice of Rail Engineers Page – 2 Sep-Dec, 2018 Editorial Cadre review may be conducted on functional cum A VISION ON CAREER PLANNING OF structural considerations with due regards to the duties & responsibilities to promote efficiency. TECHNICAL SUPERVISORS Wherever yardsticks have already been laid down for FOR RIGHT MOTIVATION provision of staff – (the same) should be taken into After 4 years of technical education, viz theory, lab account. work and projects/ internships, one finally becomes an Cadre review exercise may be conducted periodically Engineer. His specialization might be civil, mechanical, for all Groups „B‟, „C‟ & „D‟ posts. electrical, instrumentation, electronics or computers. Rationalisation of categories / grades through merger Developing individual‟s career in the technical field begins may also be considered. by looking for good job opportunities in the core field. Indian Cadre review exercise may be conducted after every Railways provides job opportunity to these fresh Engineers five years. in the core transport sector in Pay Level -7 (PB-2 with the The primary authority for conducting cadre review for Grade Pay of Rs.4600) at the apex level of Group-C. Groups „B‟, „C‟ & „D‟ cadres will be of the cadre Fresher‟s who come out successful in a stiff competitive controlling authorities in the respective ministries. examination with a lot of hopes on joining the Railways Cadre restructure has been done on the Railways four proudly, only to find that their career ends where it begins. times so far i.e. in the years1984, 1993, 2003 & 2013. They The career of Junior Engineers also meeets with the same didn‟t bring any positive result to the category of Technical ill-fated destiny of ending with one promotion to SSE. Supervisors in the apex grade of Group C, since they had Without any vision on the career planning for its Rail didn‟t follow the guidelines given by DoPT. Incumbents in Engineers / Technical Supervisors, Indian Railways lack in the apex scale of SSE / CMS / CDMS / Sr.Er(IT) never got motivating this front line field managers who are directly the benefit of cadre restructure exercise. responsible for safe, punctual and comfortable train th operation 24 hours a day, 365 days in a year. 7 CPC recommended that in the category of Technical Supervisors in Railways there is some element of stagnation Different theories have been suggested for at the GP 4600 stage (SSEs), accordingly it is suggested motivating employees. Pay is considered a primary that Railway Board should consider enhancing the number motivator. Other key motivating factors including opportunity of posts in the next higher level. Railway Board has initiated for advancement, appreciation of hard work, sense of a proposal to upgrade 50% of sanctioned posts in Technical achievement, responsibility and empowerment, sense of Supervisors category to the Grade Pay Rs.4800. This challenge and enjoyment. The opportunity for advancement proposal may give temporary relief, but not sufficient to in the form of career planning is completely not available to eliminate stagnation. the Rail Engineers / Technical Supervisors, even though it had been discussed many times. Best solution will be doing combined cadre restructuring of Technical Departments including posts in Group A, B and Fourth Pay Commission in para 23.9 recommended C on Indian Railways. An employee recruited as JE should that a solution of the problem of stagnation should be found have the career avenue up to the level of JAG posts and and adequate promotional opportunities should be available Graduate Engineer recruited as SSE should have the career to employees as motivation for them to contribute their best avenue up to the level of SAG posts. in the discharge of their duties. At the same time, the system of career progression should be consistent with the ALLZONAL SECRETARIES, CEC MEMBERS & functional needs and requirement of organization. SUB-UNIT SECRETARIES OF IRTSA In para 23.10, Fourth pay Commission further PLEASE ENSURE WIDE PUBLICITY AND stated that, there should be cadre reviews after a prescribed LAUNCH INTENSIVE MEMBERSHIP DRIVE (@ RS. 200 PA) period with the view to identifying the grades / posts which SEND CENTRAL QUOTA (@ 50% OF MEMBERSHIP) could be upgraded taking into account their duties and BY DD OR “AT PAR CHEQUE” IN FAVOUR OF responsibilities and consistent with the need to promote „INDIAN RAILWAYS TECHNICAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION‟ efficiency in administration.