Dated: 22.08.2025
The Chairman & CEO,
Railway Board,
Ministry of Railways,
Rail Bhawan,
New Delhi-110001.
Sub: Request for early disbursement of Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) for 2024-25 to Railway employees on the occasion of Puja Festival – 2025
Dear Sir,
As you are well aware, the auspicious festival of Shardiya Navratra and Durga Puja, which holds immense cultural, social, and religious significance among the people across the country, will be celebrated from 22nd September 2025 to 2nd October 2025, with the major festivities of Durga Puja falling between 29th/30th September to 2nd October 2025, particularly in West Bengal and adjoining states. This festival is among the most widely celebrated across India, marked by great devotion, enthusiasm, and community participation. A large number of Railway employees and their families enthusiastically take part in these celebrations.
In keeping with the long-standing tradition, it is earnestly requested that the Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) for 2024-25 be disbursed to Railway employees well before the commencement of the Puja/Dussehra festival season, so that employees may celebrate these occasions with dignity and financial ease.
It is also pertinent to highlight that the All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) has, for a long time, been consistently demanding the abolition of the ceiling limit on Bonus, with the clear view that Railway employees deserve to be paid PLB on the basis of their actual Basic Pay plus Dearness Allowance, in recognition of their dedicated and hard labour which continues to contribute significantly to the financial growth and operational efficiency of Indian Railways.
It may be recalled that, owing to persistent efforts of this Federation and the overwhelming support of the workforce, the Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Act, 2015 came into force, enhancing the calculation ceiling under Section 12 of the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 from Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 7,000 or the notified minimum wage for scheduled employment, whichever is higher.
Since 2015, substantial upward revisions have taken place in employees’ emoluments. For instance, as per the latest guidelines issued by the Ministry of Labour & Employment, the minimum wage for a Skilled Worker in Area ‘A’ stands at Rs. 25,506/- w.e.f. 01.04.2025. Further, following the implementation of the 7th Central Pay Commission, the minimum Basic Pay of a Central Government employee is fixed at Rs. 18,000/- per month. Therefore, continuation of the present monthly ceiling of Rs. 7,000/- for the calculation of PLB/Ad-hoc Bonus is wholly unjustified and urgently requires enhancement in line with current pay and wage structures.
In light of the above, AIRF strongly urges that the PLB for the year 2024-25 be disbursed to Railway employees without any ceiling limit, duly calculated on the basis of Basic Pay plus DA, and released well in advance of the Dussehra/Puja festival to provide timely relief and encouragement to the workforce.
We shall be grateful for your kind consideration and immediate favorable orders in this regard.
Yours sincerely,
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
General Secretary
Copy to:
- Member (Finance), Railway Board, New Delhi – for necessary action.
- DG (HR), Railway Board, New Delhi – for necessary action.
- Pr. E.D (IR), Railway Board, New Delhi – for necessary action.
- General Secretaries, All Affiliated Unions of AIRF – For information.
