Matter for notice on Running Allowance

RUNNING ALLOWANCE.

Till recent years Running Allowance was a glamour of Running Staff. But today the condition is different. When DA raised to 51% w.e.f 01/01/2011, many of the allowances automatically raised by 25% as per accepted recommendation of 6^th CPC and this includes Travelling Allowance also. Hence there are lot of expectations among the Running Staff to get enhanced rate of running allowance. But it is not applicable to running allowance as per existing orders. Thus it is imperative to look at the problem more deep and analyze various facts.

Though the running allowance scheme continues from Company Railways regime, prior to 1980 revising Running Allowance was after every pay commission without any scientific analysis. After 1970s, many struggles by the Loco Running Staff, the Railways and the Government of India had accepted the genuineness of the demand of scientific analysis and formed Running Allowance Committee 1980.

RAC1980 identified two elements in running allowance, ie. Pay element and TA element and somehow quantified them through some guess work. RAC 1980 derived a methodology (formula) to calculate rate of Running Allowance. Accordingly revision of running allowance was done for the past two decades based on the RAC1980 formula. Despite our disputes over various factors we principally accept the RAC1980 methodology.

After 6^th CPC, Railways constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of Adv(IR) along with five Railway Bd Officials and two General Secretaries of NFIR and AIRF. It has submitted its recommendation on 25.11.2008. The committee vide Para14, assumed that the TA / DA rate at Rs. 210/-, and took the minimum of pay band (PB2) and calculated rate of running allowance as rs 160/- per 100 kms but subsequently TA / DA has been released fixing Rs. 340/- for the grade pay of Rs. 4200/-. So instead of Rs. 210 an amount of Rs. 340 should have been taken as TA for fixing the running allowance rate. In the case of Assistant Loco Pilots the increase in TA rates is from Rs. 55 to Rs.210 i.e, 3.81 times. Therefore the recommendation of the committee on Running Allowance to double the rate w.e.f 01.09.2008 is unjust, unacceptable and clear discrimination. Now as DA raised 51%, TA is raised as Rs.425.

Accordingly it will be just on our part to demand that the kilometerage rate of running staff be raised as follows:-

Application of RAC-1980 formula with 20 days TA and 4700 / 3725 km for LP / ALP, the rate from 01.01.2006 to 31.08.2008, w.e.f 01.09.2008,and w.e.f 01.01.2011

	LOCO PILOT	ASST. LOCO PILOT
Basic Pay	(9300 + 34800) / 2 + 4200	* ( 5830 +20200) / 2 + 1900
Mean Pay	26250	14915
30% of Pay element	7875	4475
Old TA rates	105	55
National average km	4700	3725
Mileage rate with old TA rate w.e.f 01.01.2006	(7875 +(105 X 20)) /4700 ) 100 = 212.23	(4475 + (55 X 20)) / 3725 ) 100 = 149.66
New TA rates	340	210
Mileage rate with new TA w.e.f 01.09.2008	(7875 +(340 X 20) / 4700 ) X 100 = 312.23	(4475 + (210 X 20) / 3725 )X 100= 232.89
New TA rate after DA 51%	425	262.5
Mileage rate with new TA w.e.f 01.01.2011	(7875+(425 X 20))/ 4700 X 100 = 348	(4475 + (262.5 X 20)) / 3725) X 100= 261

*entry pay for ALPs

The loss can be under stood easily when we are on RC/promotional course at training centers after 01-01-2011

ALK per day for running staff	Rs 270/-(TA portion is Rs.7.50 only)
TA for non running staff	Rs 425/-

Following the footsteps of RAC1980, this joint committee also vide Para.13 submits “as Kilometerage allowance contains a Pay element, revision in the rates of this allowance requires to be carried out w.e.f 01-01-2006 and thereafter w.e.f 01-09-2008 when the revised rates of TA/DA are implemented”. And thus they derived separate Kilometerage allowance w.e.f 01-01-2006 and 01-09-2008. But it concluded with doubling the rate of running allowance w.e.f 01-09-2008 only. Thus we are going back to pre 1980 position ie revising Running Allowance without any scientific analysis. Revision of running allowance rates on increase of Basic pay or TA is mandatory in accordance with running allowance rules 1981.

After a meeting with Member Staff and Advisor (IR) on 13-01-2011 AIRF stated that now MS has agreed to start a negotiation on the issue of improvement in the rate of running allowance. When a golden opportunity was extended through FTC both federations took an unfortunate stand that “ not to associate with the committee” and there by deprived loco running staff legitimate allowance.

A negotiating channel of federations so far yielded no results in the improvement of pay and running allowances. The loco Running staff largely desire for united struggle to restore the RAC 1980 formula for running allowance to ensure proper and just rate and periodic revision. AILRSA gives open call for united struggle at least on issue basis to fulfill the workers wishes.

WORKING CLASS UNITY ZINDABAD!!!

Date 09-05-2011