Assn seeks pay parity among engineers, writes to power firms

Patiala, December 14

The PSEB Engineers Association (PSEBA) has written to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL), seeking pay parity among engineers hired over the years.

The PSEBA said that the new recruits are being denied a proper pay scale. Their letter states: “It seems that the Punjab government’s Finance Department is creating an unnecessary disparity in the pay scale for the newly recruited engineers.

As per the prevailing practice, the Assistant Engineers (OT) should receive salaries based on the Pay Band Level-10 of the Sixth Punjab Pay Commission. But the pay for the new Assistant Engineers (OT) has been reduced to Pay Band Level-8 of the Seventh Central Pay Commission, which is much lower than scale for the existing engineers.”

Ajay Pal Singh Atwal, general secretary of the PSEBA, said that the engineers are being denied rightful pay scales. He said, “This seems to be an attempt to create an industrial dispute by paying the AEs on lower scales than what they should receive.”

“There has been no decision regarding other problems — pay anomalies, pending arrears of pay scales, pending DA, and the Old Pension Scheme — either,” he added.

The disparity

As per the prevailing practice, the Assistant Engineers (OT) should receive salaries based on the Pay Band Level-10 of the Sixth Punjab Pay Commission. But the pay for the new Assistant Engineers (OT) has been reduced to Pay Band Level-8 of the Seventh Central Pay Commission.

Other problems unresolved

There has been no decision regarding other problems — pay anomalies, pending arrears of pay scales, pending DA, and the Old Pension Scheme — either. — Ajay Pal Singh Atwal, PSEBA general secretary