7th Pay Commission: Government employees fume, demand pay hike, go on strike

7th Pay Commission: Government employees have been making demands for quite some time across India for pay hikes. Some states have agreed, while others have not. At the central level, the benefits of 7th pay commission have been implemented, but demands are there for another round of pay hikes because of rising inflation. That demand has been pending for a very long time, but chances are that the same will be agreed too soon enough. However, some employees are not willing to wait and they have taken things into their own hands. Since various state governments have showered benefits of the seventh pay panel's recommendations on their employees, the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) employees have also put a pressure on the Vasundhara Raje government and today they launched a protest for fulfillment of their demands. 
 
According to reports, over 4,500 buses remained off the roads in Rajasthan Monday, as the state transport corporation employees decided to go on a strike over various demands, including implementation of the 7th pay commission report recommendations.
 
Employee Unions have called for a one-day strike, but it can be extended, Rajasthan Roadways Workers' Union, general secretary, Kishan Singh Rathore, told PTI in Jaipur. He reportedly stated, "There are 4,716 buses with the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC). This includes nearly 1,000 buses that are on contract, and most of them are not operating. This one-day call may be extended." 
 
Further, Rathore said that the employees unions held a meeting with Transport Minister Yunus Khan Sunday, but it failed and the strike began at midnight, adding "Our main demands are that our salary should be as per the 7th Pay Commission's recommendations, there must be new recruitment in the corporation and new buses be purchased." 
 
Notably, commuters across Rajasthan are facing hardship due to the strike.
 
As we know central government employees are also fuming over non-filfilment of their demands of hike in minimum salary and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th CPC pay panel, state governments of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh have placated their employees implementing these recommendations. 
 
Most recently, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh announced the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations for the teachers of the state government colleges, universities and also for non-government colleges getting 100 per cent grants. The announcement came as the state is slated for Assembly elections by end of this year. 
 
Similarly, the Madhya Pradesh government also made an announcement for its employees, as per the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, and the same would be implemented with retrospective effect of January 1, 2016. 
 
Notably, the Rajasthan government earlier made an announcement of a 2 per cent Dearness Allowance (DA) hike for its employees, who will get 9 per cent DA at par with the central government employees from July 1, 2018. 
 
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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, however, already showered benefits to teachers and Professors in the state on the Teachers Day, by implementing the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.