7th Pay Commission: On employees' angst against National Pension Scheme (NPS), Piyush Goyal says this

7th pay commission: Indian Railways employees have been protesting for pay and pension-related issues. The employees have threatened to adopt 'Work To Rule' if their demands are not met. Now, the Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has faced the heat of the protesting employees.

Goyal was in Lucknow to attend the 70th annual general meeting of the Northern Railway Men's Union on Friday. The minister faced the wrath of the protesting employees over several issues including the restoration of the old pension scheme and regularisation of the service of the apprentices.

The minister has said that the railways is sensitively considering various demands of the employees, like the problems faced in the implementation of the National Pension Scheme (NPS) and regularisation of the apprentices.

The Indian Railways has been facing manpower-crunch and due to this, the existing employees have got overburdened. Those who are worst hit are ground level workers including Gangman, Trackman, Pointsman etc. Even at small stations, Station Masters will have to perform extra hour duties.

The railway unions have already said that if their demands are not met, the employees will not be performing extra hour duties and will function as per 'Work To Rule'. If this happens, the railways' operations will get hampered and trains may face delays due to the shortage of staffs.

Watch This Zee Business Video

It's not that only railway employees are protesting. Even state government staffs are protesting against the new pension scheme. The employees have been demanding the restoration of the old pension scheme alleging that the NPS is not beneficial for them. The employees have claimed that the NPS doesn't provide a guaranteed pension fund as it's interdependent on the investment into the stocks market and returns from it.