Port and dock workers to get productivity-linked reward from 2015-16 to 2017-18

The union cabinet under today approved a New Productivity Linked Reward Scheme for all employees of all major port trusts and Dock Labour Boards for the years 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18.

The new PLR scheme applicable for three years from 2015-2016 to 2017-2018 will benefit about 37,870 port and dock workers/employees in all the major port trusts and will involve an annual outgo of Rs49.58 crore, the ministry of shipping stated in a release.

The New Productivity Linked Reward (PLR) Scheme will be calculated on the enhanced wage ceiling for calculation of bonus at Rs7,000 per month. PLR will be paid annually on the basis of 50 per cent weightage given to all-India performance and 50 per cent weightage to individual port performance.

For the year 2014-15, an amount of Rs25.93 crore has been paid to about 41,492 ports and dock workers/employees as per wage ceiling of Rs3500. The total additional outgo for all major ports and dock workers/employees on account of payment of arrears of PLR for the year 2014-15 as per enhanced wage ceiling of Rs7000 will be about Rs25.93 crore.

There is an existing scheme of productivity-linked reward for the employees/workers of major port trusts and Dock Labour Board, wherein PLR was granted on yearly basis based on the settlement arrived at between management and the labour federations of the major port trusts.

The new PLR scheme will foster better industrial relationship and congenial work atmosphere in the port sector, apart from stimulating better productivity, the shipping ministry added.