Railway union members oppose new pension scheme

NEW DELHI: Members of a railway union has opposed the new pension scheme and demanded that the employees should be kept out of the ambit of the scheme.

All-India Railwaymen's Federation (AIRF) General Secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra said that the union has urged Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to raise the matter with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to ensure the government keeps railway employees out of the ambit of new pension scheme.

Apprising Prabhu about railwaymen's work in most precarious and arduous conditions, Mishra said, "Many employees lay down their lives while working on duty to keep the nation on move and trains on the run, therefore, like Armed Forces, concept of New Pension Scheme may also be abolished from Railways."

He said the National Pension System introduced from January 2004 has totally eroded the social security, and the staff appointed on or after this crucial date is always worried about their future.

AIRF also raised the issues of 7th Pay Commission recommendations with Prabhu and sought redressal.

Describing the recommendations as "retrograde", Mishra said the report is not in the interest of railway men.


He urged upon the Railway Minister to raise the matter with Ministry of Finance before accepting the report of 7th CPC.