Why Railway employees get 2.5x more bonus than others
The central government has announced a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) for non-gazetted Railway employees for the Financial Year 2025-26. This annual bonus, equivalent to 78 days of basic wages, will be substantially higher than the Rs 6,908 annual bonus given to other central government employees. The Railways Board explained that the disbursement will follow the same mode as salary payments, given priority.
While a standard wage ceiling of Rs 7,000 determines the bonus for all central employees, it is absent for Railway workers, who receive Rs 17,951. This significant disparity stems from the different number of days—78 for Railways and just 30 for other central employees—used in the calculation. Railway employees also factor in an output-input ratio, which includes net tonne kilometres and non-gazetted staff strength, adding to their bonus.
The Indian Railways Technical Supervisors’ Association (IRTSA) has urged for a significant increase to Rs 18,000, citing a 53.55% improvement in the output-input ratio over a 12-year period.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
