The Indian Railway Technical Supervisors' Association (IRTSA) has recommended five separate fitment factors ranging from 2.92 to 4.38 for railway technical employees under the proposed 8th Pay Commission. According to the association's submission, this approach aims to ensure a more balanced salary structure across different employee categories rather than applying a uniform multiplier across all levels. The proposal suggests employees from Levels 1 to 5 should receive a fitment factor of 2.92, while those in Levels 6 to 8 should get 3.50. For Levels 9 to 12, the proposed multiplier is 3.80, and Levels 13 to 16 should see a fitment factor of 4.09. The highest levels, 17 and 18, should have their salaries revised with a fitment factor of 4.38. As per Times Now, IRTSA argues that a single fitment factor does not adequately address the varying responsibilities and working conditions across employee categories, with technocrats requiring separate compensation for hazards, additional working hours and peculiar service conditions. The association specifically seeks a five-grade pay structure for technical supervisors similar to CPSE (ONGC), stating that "the wages of technocrats, specially those in Railways, should be fixed separately from those of non-technocrat employees with a view to adequately compensate them for hazards/job requirements, additional working hours and peculiar conditions of service."
Under the proposed structure, an employee with a current basic pay of ₹20,000 and a proposed fitment factor of 2.92 could see their revised pay rise to ₹58,400. Similarly, a Level 6-8 employee earning ₹45,000 may receive ₹1,57,500 under the proposed 3.50 multiplier. The association's latest proposal includes significantly higher starting salaries, with a Junior Engineer (Level-7) earning ₹1,57,400, Senior Section Engineer (Gr-B) (Level-8) at ₹1,66,800, Assistant Manager (Gr-B) (Level-9) drawing ₹2,01,600, Manager (Gr-B) (Level-10) earning ₹2,13,000, and Senior Manager (Gr-A) (Level-11) receiving ₹2,57,000. A Level 13-16 employee drawing ₹1,20,000 basic pay could see a revised salary increase to ₹4,90,800 using the proposed 4.09 factor. The fitment factor serves as the multiplier used by pay commissions to revise basic salaries of government employees, with the 7th Pay Commission applying a uniform fitment factor of 2.57 across categories. Note that these are illustrative calculations based on proposed multipliers and are not official salary figures.
The association has proposed a revamped cadre structure for railway technical supervisors, suggesting higher starting salaries for key posts including Junior Engineer, Senior Section Engineer, Assistant Manager and Senior Manager. According to Times Now, the proposed structure includes significantly higher starting salaries across various positions. Additionally, IRTSA has demanded five financial upgrades under the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme during 30 years of service, instead of the existing structure. These enhancements are designed to address the specific needs and responsibilities of railway technical supervisors and provide better career progression opportunities. The association has also sought changes in the MACP scheme, proposing financial upgradation after completing 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 years of service, with employees in safety category posts within the Ministry of Railways receiving higher indexing of fitment factors from Level 6 onwards due to their nature of duties and responsibilities. IRTSA specifically notes that "in the Ministry of Railways, for safety category posts, higher indexing of fitment factors should be followed for posts from Level 6."
