7th Pay Commission latest: Disaster for these employees, hunger strike begins

New Delhi, Aug 11: For these employees the 7th Pay Commission has been a disaster. Thousands of station masters of the Indian Railways are on a hunger strike starting today.

The 24 hour hunger strike has been called by the All India Station Masters Association (AISMA).

They cite discrimination against the station masters following the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations implemented by the government.

They say that the 7th Pay Commission limited the scope of promotion for station masters.

AISMA says that under the 7th Pay Commission, they are entitled only for one promotion in their entire career after joining the Indian Railways at the entry level. Moreover there is no mobility for the cadres of the station masters, the AISMA also said.

They have further said that they have just two pay scales- Rs 4,200 and Rs 4,600. This ideally means they can get only one promotion in their entire career and the Rs 4,800 pay scale is just a financial upgradation.

The AISMA further demanded that the benefits of the third Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme of the MACPS, provision of stress and safety allowance to station masters be implemented. The demands were presented before the Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain.

In the wake of this strike the Railway Ministry has issued an advisory and also asked the Railway Protection Force to take all precautions to ensure that there is nothing untoward that takes place. The AISMA however said that they are demanding that the the wrongful suggestions given by the 7th Pay Commission be looked into and changed. We will not disrupt any train services, they have also assured.