Railway engineers have urged the 8th Pay Commission to address long-standing concerns over pay parity, career progression and promotions during a stakeholder consultation in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. They also sought Group B status and changes to the existing pay structure, arguing that engineers have faced setbacks since the implementation of the 6th Pay Commission.
The demands were submitted by the All India Railway Engineers Federation (AIREF), along with the East Coast Railway Engineers Association (ECoREA), during an interaction with 8th Pay Commission Member Secretary Pankaj Jain, according to The New Indian Express.
The consultation formed part of the Commission's nationwide outreach programme, which allows employee unions, pensioners and other stakeholders to present their concerns before the panel drafts its recommendations on pay, pensions and allowances.
AIREF Seeks Pay Parity and Group B Status
Representing AIREF, Secretary General BP Dash submitted the federation's memorandum to the Commission and said railway engineers had experienced a decline in their pay structure after the 6th Pay Commission.
Dash said railway engineers, despite their role in railway operations, receive less favourable pay than employees in non-technical and non-safety cadres. He urged the Commission to restore the pay structure that existed before the 6th Pay Commission and grant railway engineers Group B status on par with employees in other Central government departments.
AIREF also asked the Commission to recommend increasing the share of Group B posts in the Railways to 7.5% from the current 0.29%, bringing it in line with the national average.
During the discussions, Organising Secretary General Sivakant Singh highlighted the prolonged career stagnation faced by railway engineers.
Stakeholder Consultations Continue
The Bhubaneswar meeting, held on July 6 and 7, was one of a series of consultations organised by the 8th Pay Commission with employee unions, pensioners and other stakeholders across the country. The Commission is expected to conclude the final round of consultations in Kolkata on July 10 before preparing its recommendations.
Earlier consultations were held in Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Srinagar, Ladakh and Bhubaneswar. Besides issues affecting railway employees, unions have sought a higher fitment factor, revised allowances, pension reforms, improved House Rent Allowance and changes to the Modified Assured Career Progression framework.
The stakeholder meetings are intended to gather representations from employee organisations before the Commission prepares its final report. No immediate changes are expected from the consultations.
The 8th Pay Commission, established on Nov. 3, 2025, is reviewing pay structures, pensions and allowances while balancing employee demands with the government's budget priorities.
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