7th Pay Commission: after government’s refusal to hike pay, employees planning to go on strike

As the government made it clear that it is not planning to hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond 7th pay Commission for its employees, the unions of employees are planning to go on strike for a hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

Several central government employees feel that the government is not going to hike salary than the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. Some unions of employees have decided to approach the government by going on a strike in the coming days, Sen Times reported.

Recently, in a reply to the question, Minister of State Finance P Radhakrishnan said in Rajya Sabha that the government was considering a hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

““The minimum pay of Rs.18,000/- p.m. and fitment factor of 2.57 are based on the specific recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission in the light of the relevant factors taken into account by it. Therefore, no change therein is at present under consideration,” said Radhakrishnan.

He was replying to the question posed by Samajwadi Party MP Neeraj Shekhar.

Shkhar asked that “whether Government is actively contemplating to increase minimum pay from Rs.18,000/- to Rs.21,000/- and fitment factor from 2.57 to 3, in view of resentment among Central Government employees over historically lowest increase in pay by 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC).”

There were some speculations that the government is mulling to hike minimum pay to Rs 21,000 and fitment factor 3.00.

The 7th Pay Commission had proposed a hike of 14.27 per cent in the basic pay of central government employees, increasing minimum pay from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000. Despite objections and resentment from central government employees, the government approved the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. The government employees were demanding a hike in minimum pay from Rs 18,000 to Rs 26,000 and fitment factor 3.68 times from 2.57 times.