CHAPTER V
ALLOWANCES & INCENTIVES
OVER
TIME ALLOWANCE
5.1 The
revision of Over Time Allowance (OTA) is pending since the implementation of
the 5th CPC report. The activities and nature of the employees in
the R&D and other non industrial units are at par with the Industrial units
under DAE where the OTA is regulated as per the Factories Act 1948. The
employees in the R&D sector are forced to perform the Overtime because of
the reliever system in the nuclear operating plants. The Nuclear plant
operators, Technicians/Supervisors, Drivers, Security staff, Fire Staff etc.
are forced to perform Overtime to ensure the continuous operation (24 hours on round the clock basis) of
the operating plats, electrical substation pump house etc., This is to follow the safety guidelines and
also to ensure proper security to the Nuclear establishments.
5.2 Realizing
the fact Dr Homi Bhabha (founder of the nuclear establishments in India) an
Office Memorandum dated 7th February 1963, No. 40/72/61 –Adm.II, has
issued regarding the OTA. By the said OM
the norms for grant of OTA has unequivocally laid down for the erstwhile Atomic Energy Establishment,
Trombay (BARC,) which is at par with the Industrial units
where the OTA is regulated as per the Factories Act. The Para 6 of the OM
further state that “The orders contained in the Ministry of Finance (Department of
Expenditure) Office Memorandum No.F.9(5) –E.II(B)/60 dated June 1, 1961, as
amended from time to time , will not be applicable to the staff in the Atomic
Energy establishment Trombay in whose case the grant of overtime allowance is
governed by these orders.” Which means The OTA for the employees of
BARC will continues to be governed by the OM dated7th February 1963,
No. 40/72/61 –Adm.II, irrespective of any subsequent orders of Ministry of
Finance etc.
5.3 Government
of India promulgate Atomic Energy Factories Rules which is identical to the Factories Act 1948
and the same made applicable to the R& D and other non Industrial units
under the Department of Atomic Energy. But always skipped while revising the
Overtime Allowance for Industrial units after the implementation of the Pay
revision based on the recommendations of Pay Commissions.
5.4 After
the implementation of the 5th CPC DoPT has issued an OM dated 21st
November, 1997, No. Pt.FAO. 21017/3/97-Estt (allowance), wherein it is stated
that, the 5th CPC has recommended the discontinuance of Overtime
Allowance. It is also stated that “It has
also been recommended by the Commission that in lieu of cash compensation in
the form of OTA, staff deployed on weekly off days may be entitled only to
compensatory leave. However, the Staff
Car Drivers, Operational Staff and Industrial employees have been recommended
to be governed by the existing rules and instructions on the subject.” By
the above said facts it is very clear that the 5th CPC has neither
recommended nor intended to discontinue the OTA to the Staff Car Drivers,
Operational Staff and Industrial employees, on the contrary they had
recommended to continue the OTA to the above said categories of employees.
Their recommendation for the discontinuance of OTA was limited to the Staff
deployed on weekly off days. Accordingly the OTA for the industrial employees
in the DAE has been revised in the year 1998 and in the year 2009 after the
implementation of the recommendations of 6th CPC. . But the same
provision was not extended to the operational/maintenance staff and other
employees similarly placed in the R&D establishments in the DAE.
5.5 Until
the implementation of the 5th CPC report, the OTA used to be revised
at every Pay Revisions consequent upon the CPC reports. At present OTA is
regulated as per the pay decided by the
4th CPC from the year 1986, by this anomaly the pay for the
extra duty (OT) performed by an employee after their normal duty is much less
than that prescribed by the Government
for unskilled casual labour. The performance of overtime in R&D establishment are not in
comparison with the staff car rules and it is a statutory requirement to follow
various safety guidelines and retain the man power as per the guidelines of international
agencies such as IAEA, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board ( AERB), BARC Safety
Council, etc.
5.6 Though
NFAEE had repeatedly requested to the Department to revise the OTA since 1998,
the concerned authorities for all these years keep on saying that since OTA for
the Central Government employees are not revised, the OTA for the employees of
the R&D establishments cannot be revised. Due to the apathetic attitude of
the Department, the Issue of revising the OTA was not properly dealt. The
concerned authorities have never tried to invoke the provisions of the OM dated7th February
1963, which treat the R&D establishments (BARC) in the DAE at par with the
Industrial units in terms of
OTA. If at all the concerned authorities fell that any approval is required
from any Ministries/Department, they have never tried to pursue the concerned
Departments/ Ministries by citing peculiarity and special nature of activity of
our Department as well as the above cited provisions of the recommendation
quoted in the OM dated 21st November, 1997./ OM dated7th
February 1963.
5.7 A
large number of employees of operating plants, Hospital Staff, Drivers and
Security Staff, Fire Staff etc. are frustrated/ aggrieved due to the meagre
amount of compensation of OTA for the extra duty which they are forced to
perform. Many of the employees are forced to perform over time without even
cash compensation (beyond the OT ceiling limit) and Compensatory Off since
availing the C- Off will affect the smooth functioning of the institution.
5.8 Thus
we suggest the Pay Commission to recommend to the Government to revise the rate
of Overtime Allowance to ensure the employees who are asked to perform overtime
to ensure the smooth operation of the Nuclear Installations in the Research
& Development units and other non industrial units.
QUALIFICATION
INCENTIVE SCHEME (QIS)
5.9 The Qualification Incentive
scheme (QIS) introduce the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in its specific
nuclear operating plants to ensure the safe operation, adopt higher
safety measures, safe working procedure in nuclear plants by adhering
to IAEA/AERB/BSC standards. Every operational, maintenance persons in the
nuclear plant shall be well trained, qualified and experienced to understand
the intricacy of the safe
operation and maintenance procedure of the nuclear
plant. For
that purpose this scheme was introduced through a meticulous qualification
process of completing the check list, examination, interview etc. The employees
are qualified in five different levels depending on their responsibility
qualification and experience. Accordingly the incentives are also paid in five
different levels staring from Rs. 500/
5.10
We suggest the Pay Commission may recommend 3.7 times of the existing rates.
NUCLEAR RESEARCH PLANT SUPPORTING ALLOWANCES (NRPSA):
5.11
The extra work being done by the employees working in Round the Clock Shift
comparing with the general shift people was compensated with NRPSA. Though the
name of the allowance is NUCLEAR
RESEARCH PLANT SUPPORTING ALLOWANCES, it is nothing but an allowance to
compensate Extra Duty which was extended based on an arbitration award.
5.12
At present the same has been giving on slab wise and not actually compensating
the actual work being carried out by the employees.
5.13
Therefore we suggest that the NRPSA should be renamed as EXTRA DUTY ALLOWANCE
and should be given on actual
PERORMANCE RELATED INCENTIVE SCHEMES (PRIS)
5.14 The Department of
Atomic Energy has implemented Performance Related Incentive Scheme (PRIS) since
2009 based on the recommendation of 6th Central Pay Commission in
all the Units keeping in view the need to reward the performance of the
organisation and its personnel in realizing predefined objectives.
5.15 The payment of PRIS
is subject the certain conditionality. We feel there is need to redefine the
conditionality’s to ensure that no one should punished twice for his failure to
fulfil the conditionality to ensure the attendance.
5.16 Similarly one of the
component in PRIS, that is PRIS (I) has not been extended to the administrative
and auxiliary staff of the Department. We suggest that Pay Commission may
recommend to the Government/Department to extend the PRIS (I) to all
administrative and auxiliary staff including Store keeping staff.
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