7th Pay Commission: Salary hike coming for staffers in this southern state? More protests threatened

7th Pay Commission: Demanding pay parity with central government employees and time-bound promotions as per the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, doctors in Tamil Nadu launched a ‘non-cooperation movement’ across the state. According to reports, the state government doctors on Monday boycotted routine meetings with hospital deans, academic meetings, and departmental training programmes at all healthcare facilities. 
 
However, as per the latest reports coming in, a committee has been formed by the Tamil Nadu government to look into their demands and the decision would taken according to panel's recommendation. One health department official reportedly stated that the panel has been constituted on September 19, and it would submit the report in 4 weeks. The panel has been formed under the chairmanship of state's Health Minister C Vijaya Bhaskar, said the New Indian Express.  
 
Notably, medics had staged a protest earlier highlighting their 7th pay commission linked demands in August with demonstrations outside district collectorates under the Joint Action Committee — the umbrella organisation for the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association, Service Doctors Postgraduate Association, Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association and Government All Doctors Association. 
 
The doctors reportedly stated that at the entry level they get equal salary to their central counterparts, who get fast promotions along with pay hike, but they get their promotions only after 10 long years have passed.
 
Further, they also rued that they are the lowest paid doctors compared to Andhra and Karnataka, and asked the government to consider giving them promotions at least at the end of 13 years.
 
After the panel's formation to look into their pay issue, the medics have decided not to stage protest, at least for 4 weeks.   
 
Notably, the Centre has so far not fulfilled the longstanding demand of central staff seeking pay hike above the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission, but last month announced dearness allowance hike. 

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The government approved an additional installment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners from July 1, 2018 representing an increase of 2% over the existing rate of 7% of the Basic Pay/Pension to compensate them for price rise.