7th pay commission: Hike in fitment factor, pay may get govt attention ahead of general elections
Recent steps of the Centre has rekindled hopes of about 50 lakh Central government employees and almost equal number of pensioners waiting for fulfilment of their demands for hike in pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. Reports are increasingly saying that the government may make an announcement in this context on the occasion of a big national holiday as the ruling dispensation will have to face general elections next year and this huge chunk of voters cannot be left sulking. Here is a list of demands that some unions of central government employees have raised.
1. Recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission got the government approval in June 2016, but the employee are still demanding hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the pay panel's recommendations. Image source: PTI
2. 7th pay commission had recommended a hike of 14.27 per cent in basic pay of the central government employees, raising their minimum pay from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000. Image source: PTI
3. Not satisfied, the Central employees have still been demanding to raise minimum pay to Rs 26,000 and fitment factor to 3.68 times from the current 2.57 times. Image source: PTI
4. This demand has a reason behind it and that is inflation. Government employees say that price rise has been eating into their salaries to an extent that it is not possible to maintain their lifestyle at an acceptable level. Image source: PTI
5. While inflation has been mostly under control, recently it has shown an upward trend especially after crude oil rates spiked on the international markets. Image source: PTI
However, unlike other staff, central government employees have chosen not to bring their protest to the streets. Notably, others have done so. This year in month of June, thousands of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teachers staged their protests across Kashmir demanding implementation of recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. Prior to that, nearly one lakh employees of 22 state-run and affiliated banks went on two-day nationwide strike to put a pressure on the government for wage revision and other benefits beyond the recommendations of the 7th CPC. Image source: PTI