What Delhi metro staff want: Salary hike, withdrawal of cases

The DMRC has about 9,000 non-executive staff on its payroll, who perform important duties such as that of train operators, junior engineers, station controllers, station managers, station in-charge, traffic controller, maintenance in-charge and so on.

Office goers, who use the Metro to commute to work, may have to face a tough time on Monday as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has hit rough waters with its employees resorting to protests once again.

The DMRC has about 9,000 non-executive staff on its payroll, who perform important duties such as that of train operators, junior engineers, station controllers, station managers, station in-charge, traffic controller, maintenance in-charge and so on.

The protesting non-executive level employees of the corporation have threatened to go on strike and a “total shutdown” of services from Monday if their demands for salary restructuring are not met.

The employees began the protest on Friday by wearing black bands on their arms and staging a sit-in at the platforms of different stations across the city.

They said the protests would continue over the weekend without disrupting the services. However, the DMRC said it is taking “all due care” to run Metro services so that the public of Delhi and NCR is not subjected to inconvenience.

The DMRC has about 9,000 non-executive staff on its payroll, who perform important duties such as that of train operators, junior engineers, station controllers, station managers, station in-charge, traffic controller, maintenance in-charge and so on.

Secretary of the staff council Anil Kumar Mahato, who is leading the protest, claimed that over 2,500 non-executive employees are participating in the sit-in while the entire staff of 9,000 is going to support Monday’s strike.

Salaries

The key demand of the protesting employees is salary revision.

“The DMRC is paying its executive employees on the slabs of a Schedule A PSU, but for its non-executive employees it is paying as a Schedule C company. We are demanding parity and that salary slabs of non-executive employees be raised by a grade,” Mahato said.

In the DMRC, the basic pay of non-executive staff varies from Rs 8,000 to Rs 18,500, while that of an executive staff member is above Rs 20,600. The protestors are demanding that the slab of Rs 8,000 be done away with and the entry salary of non-executive employees be upgraded to Rs 10,170.

“The last non-supervisor grade salary slab of Rs 10,170 should be increased to Rs 13,500. Supervisor grade salary which now begins from Rs 13,500 should instead start from Rs 14,000,” he added.

The DMRC, meanwhile, said that the recommendations of the third pay commission have been accepted by the government and orders will be issued soon. “Hence, it is not an opportune moment to press for their demand for revision of pay scales. All pay related issues shall be dealt shortly after issue of orders by the government,” the DMRC said in a statement.

Action against employees

The agitating employees are also demanding that the “major chargesheet” slapped on three of them and termination of one be revoked.

After their first protest against the DMRC held in May 2015 was called off, the corporation issued a chargesheet against Mahato, Ravi Bhardwaj (member of the staff council) and Vinod (maintenance staff).

“Vinod was later terminated from duties. Apart from this, about 10 employees who had protested also got negative points which impact our annual increments. We want all this to be settled,” said a train operator on condition of anonymity.

Responding to this, the DMRC said, “The issues are purely incidental to the individuals and the attempt on their part to push for their personal agenda, and invoke others to cause disruption is uncalled for.”

Metro officials further claimed that the employees have been misled by “these individuals”. “An Appeal has been issued, for all employees to stay calm and we hope that employees are not misguided by such elements. Staff council members are also called for discussion on these issues,” they said.