Wage and Salary Levels in Indian Railways

Though Indian Railways claim to be the oldest and biggest undertaking in the country, they are paying much lower wages to their employees, compared to other public undertakings in the country, unlike in U. S. A., U.K. and Japan. An analysis has revealed that there is ample scope to improve the capacity of Railways to pay fair remuneration to their employees. Besides, the increase in the real wages of railmen is too meagre compared to that of money wages and there is higher degree of positive correlation between wages and labour productivity and wages and membership of the two recognised federations in Indian Railways. The real snag lies in linking the pay policy of railways with that of Central Government employees. There is need to give due thought to solve the problems of railmen in the context of the wages in other comparable industries, present economic conditions obtaining in the country and the cherished objectives of socialistic pattern of society.