Estimated 7th Pay Commission pay scales as on 01.01.2016-Gconnect.in

New Delhi, Mar 26: Though the government said that it was not considering a hike in minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission or 7th CPC, a report claimed the Centre would announce salary hike for low-level employees from April. Conflicting reports on higher minimum pay have left central government employees baffled. Quoting Finance Ministry sources, the report said the government is ready to raise minimum pay and fitment factor beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission for employees upto the pay matrix level 5.

“Lower-level employees will benefit by pay hike,” the sources were quoted as saying. The government, however, recently informed Rajya Sabha that it was not 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,” Minister of State Finance, P Radhakrishnan said in a written reply.

The minister was responding to a question posed by Samajwadi Party MP Neeraj Shekhar. Shekhar sought to know “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).”

Following government’s refusal, the National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) threatened to go on strike for salary hike. The NJAC Shiv Gopal Mishra, who led the negotiation over 7th Pay Commission on behalf of central government employees, expressed dissatisfaction and the struggle for higher minimum pay will continue. “The employees are agitated. There is a tremendous amount of disappointment. I can assure you that the demand to raise the minimum pay has not been forfeited,” Mishra was quoted as saying.

The 7th Pay Commission had recommended a hike of 14.27 per cent in basic pay of central government employees, raising minimum pay from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000. The government approved the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission despite resentment among central government employees, who have been a hike in minimum pay from Rs 18,000 to Rs 26,000 and fitment factor 3.68 times from 2.57 times.

Read at:http://www.india.com/news/india/7th-pay-commission-government-to-hike-minimum-pay-fitment-factor-for-low-level-employees-from-april-claims-report-2963696/