Defence skilled workers get pay hike; posts restructured

In a move that would benefit a large number of skilled workers in defence establishments, the government today raised their Grade Pay by partially amending Sixth Pay Commission recommendations implemented in 2008 and restructured the cadre.

In a move that would benefit a large number of skilled workers in defence establishments, the government today raised their Grade Pay by partially amending Sixth Pay Commission recommendations implemented in 2008 and restructured the cadre.

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The new pay structure in both industrial and non-industrial trades, usually called defence artisans, would be implemented with retrospective effect from January 1, 2006, a Defence Ministry release said here.

Under the new pay scales, Skilled Artisans would be in the Pay Band-I and their Grade Pay would be Rs 1,900.

Highly Skilled Grade-II Artisans would also be bracketed under Pay Band-I, but their Grade Pay would stand at Rs 2,400.

Highly Skilled Grade I Artisans, who too would be under Pay Band-I, would receive a Grade Pay of Rs 2,800.

Master Craftsman under Pay Band-II would be paid a Grade Pay of Rs 4,200.

Hitherto, the defence establishments only had three categories of workers -- Skilled, Highly Skilled and Master Craftsmen. Usually 45 per cent of the trades were Skilled workers and the rest 55 per cent Highly Skilled. Even among the Highly Skilled, 25 per cent of the workers were graded as Master Craftsman.

But now, apart from the 25 per cent Master Craftsmen, the remaining workers in the Highly Skilled category would be bifurcated equally to have two separate grades among them --Highly Skilled Grade-II and Highly Skilled Grade-I.

The Skilled Grade posts would now be granted a Grade Pay of Rs 1,900 in Pay Band-I. The Master Craftsman among the Highly Skilled workers would be paid a Grade Pay of Rs 4,200 in Pay Band-II.

The Highly Skilled Grade-II worker would be granted Grade Pay of Rs 2,400 in Pay Band-I and Highly Skilled Worker Grade-1 Grade Pay of Rs 2,800 in Pay Band-I.

The creation of the grade of Highly Skilled Worker Grade-I with higher Grade Pay resulting from the restructuring under the amended Sixth Pay Commission recommendations would also be effective from January 1, 2006.

The conditions including the trade test for such a grading would be relaxed as one-time measure, the release added.

Highly Skilled Grade-I would be senior to Highly Skilled Grade-II.