Ministry of Defence issued an order granting Grade pay 4200 to the MCM, with the approval of DOP&T U.O.No.5358/10/CR dated 25.2.2010,and Ministry of Finance I.D.No.2(16)E.III Desk/2008 dated 10.06.2010 and concurrence of Ministry of Defence(AG/08) vide their U.O.No 164/AG/PB dated 14.06.2010. According to this the grade structures for Industrial Employees in Ministry of Defence will be as follows
i) Grade pay Rs.1900 to Skilled Workers
ii) Grade pay Rs.2400 to Highly Skilled –II Workers
iii) Grade pay Rs.2800 to Highly Skilled –I Workers
iv) Grade pay Rs.4200 to Master Craftsman
But one of the conditions laid down by the MOD to implement this four grade structure is not accepted by all the defence workers federations including INDWF, AIDEF and BPMS.
As per the order,4 (i) The post of Master Craftsman Shall be part of the hierarchy and the placement of Highly Skilled Grade-I in the grade of Master Craftsman will be treated as promotion.
All the federations confronted with this condition and they demanded that HS-I Grade should not be treated as a promotion, instead of this it should be treated as a Placement.
The sources close to the south block told that, the views of these federations has been forwarded to the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance and the matter has been examined by this department. And it is expected that necessary directions, to implement the four grade structure, will be issued by this month.
A decade long demand of the Industrial Employees of Defence Establishments, granting Grade Pay Rs.4200/- for MCM at par with railway artisans, succeeded through many struggles and it will be realized possibly before the end of this month. All the credits for this achievement goes to all the Defence federations of unions.
source:gservants.com