7th Pay Commission report: No more salary hikes for government employees through this mechanism?

7th Pay Commission report implementation ensured a hike in salary of government employees. However, according to latest reports, it has been averred that this may well be the end of such exercises. Notably, this may well be the last time government employees salary is increased in this fashion. Yes, this shocking news has acquired traction and may well be on the way to announcement. While this may be an eye-ball grabber, nothing has really been done about it as yet. Significantly, what this translates into is the fact that Centre may opt for an automatic pay revision system. Will that ensure government servants salary and allowances keep pace with inflation or price rise so that they can retire peacefully? The worries of pensioners too will have to be addressed. Well, the jury is still out on that and nothing can be claimed with certainty. What has been revealed is the fact that the Finance Ministry will create a mechanism whereby the government servants salaries and allowances will be increased automatically when DA jumps over 50 per cent. Is that a comforting thought? Perhaps, no as it adds to the uncertainty.

So, what will this translate into? 1)There will not be any pay commission after the 7th Pay Commission; 2. Centre will study government employees salaries every year; 3. Make recommendations based on the prevalent price situation rather than wait for the 10 yearly appointment of a pay commission; 4. Objective would be to ensure that there is no suffering or setbacks for staff and to ensure that they do not get behind their private counterparts.

Also read: 7th Pay Commission basic salary: Dearness allowance hiked to 7 pct; no hike in fitment factor announced

Considering that government employees are still waiting for news on 7th Pay Commission salary hike based on the fitment factor of 3.68 time rather than just 3 times as is reportedly being offered by the government, exactly what will transpire is still unclear and is likely being debated in the corridors of power at the Centre.

All of this is in the future. Right now, what is the top-most priority in the minds of staff is whether they will get a minimum salary hike to Rs 26,000 or whether it will be much less. The answer is likely to be revealed sooner rather than later, so keep tuned to this space for the latest news on 7th Pay Commission.