Allotment of Qualification based Pay Matrix - ECG Technicians in Railways - NFIR

Allotment of Qualification based Pay Matrix - ECG Technicians in Railways - NFIR

NFIR

National Federation of Indian Railwaymen
3, CHELMSFORD ROAD, NEW DELHI - 110055

Affiliated to :
Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)
International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF)
No.II/1/2019

Dated: 30/03/2019

The Secretary (E)
Railway Board,
New Delhi.

Dear Sir,
Sub: Allotment of Qualification based Pay Matrix - ECG Technicians in Railways.

Ref: (i) NFIR's PNM item No. 60/2012.
(ii) NFIR's letter No.II/1/Part XI dated 26/09/2016.
(iii) NFIR's letter No. II/1/Part XII dated 23/01/2017.
(iv) Railway Board's letterNo. PC-VII/20161F.-U140 dated 06/0312017 to GS/NFIR.
(v) NFIR's letter No. II/1/Part XII dated 08/11/2017.
(vi) NFIR's letterNo. II/1/2018 dated30/07/2018.
(vii) Railway Board's reply to GS/NFIR vide letter No. PC-VII/2018/R-U/8 dated 14/03/2019 (Item No. 5 of Annexure 'A').

Kind attention is invited to the comments of Railway Board vide Annexure OA of Board's reply dated 14/03/2019, not agreeing for providing cadre structure for ECG Technicians with apex Grade Pay 4200/pay Level-6, on the ground that no specific recommendations have been made by the Pay
commission in favour of ECG Technicians of Railways, the parity between various categories of para- medical staff working in Railway Hospitals/Health Units cannot be made with para-medical or para- medical staff of specified Central Government Hospitals due to functional requirements. These views of the Railway Ministry have been disputed by the Federation earlier, due to being incorrect & unjust and urged upon the Railway Board to take judicious decision to render justice to the ECG Technicians working in Railway Hospitals/Health Units. In this context, Federation's letter dated 26/09/2016 and 30th July, 2018 may kindly be referred to.

Railway Board may also appreciate that the Railway Hospitals mainly Zonal and Divisional Hospitals have been functioning on at Zones and the Divisions. These Railway Hospitals have been providing Cardiac and other important treatments to ailing Railway employees and their family members as indoor patients located in all big cities in the Zones/Divisions. Besides this, job contents of the ECG Technicians and their role/service conditions in these Railway Hospitals is in no way less than the Medical Institutions of National Eminence. It is also relevant to appreciate that most of these Railway Hospitals are having 100 plus bed strength giving all types of treatment to the patients, therefore, the ECG Technicians working in Railway Hospitals cannot be rated inferior to those ECG Technicians working in other National Medical Institutions but rather deserve to be considered atleast on par if not more so far as their pay structure is concerned. In this connection, Railway Board may kindly consider Federation's proposal dated 26/09/2016 & 30/07/2018 (copies enclosed) and take the issue to the nodal Ministry i.e. Ministry of Health and Family welfare with justification for allotment of Pay Level-6 at apex level to the ECG Technician category already placed in the NFIR PNM Agenda Item No. 60/2012.

Another fact which cannot be ignored is that at present the Central Hospitals working on each Zonal Railway have been functioning as Educational Institutions also as the Graduate/Post Graduate Doctors are undergoing DNB, internship etc., and other types of courses before they being awarded Degree. These Railway Hospitals cannot be under-rated in so far as their work culture and responsibilities shouldered by staff are concerned. While several cadres in Railways where entry Grade Pay is 1800/- and 1900/- with direct recruitment qualification being lower than "Graduation" are provided cadre structure upto GP 4200 and in some cases GP 4600, in the case of ECG Technicians where entry qualification is "Graduation in Science plus Diploma/experience" apex Grade Pay 4200/- has not been provided in the existing cadre structure. This is unique case of injustice meted out to the category despite V CPC had given general recommendation for allotment of "qualification based pay scale". The case of ECG Technicians therefore stands on merit for providing improved cadre structure with atleast GP 4200/ Level-6 at apex level of the cadre.

NFIR, therefore, once again requests the Railway Board to kindly review and make out a proposal for obtaining the approval of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and MoF as suggested above.

Yours faithfully,
(Dr.M.Raghavaiah)
General Secretary

Source: NFIR