7th Pay Commission: Central Employees To Call Off March To Parliament On Dec 15 Over ‘Pay Disparity
New Delhi: The central government employees’ unions will not march to the parliament to protest against “government inaction” on fulfilling their demands, including hike in minimum pay to Rs 26,000 from Rs 18,000 which was recommended by the 7th Pay Commission and was approved by the cabinet on June 29.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had called central government employees’ unions leaders on June 30 and assured that the minimum pay and other demands were to be referred to High Level Committee to rectify but no such type of committee has been set up till date.
“As government is facing severe attack in the wake of difficulties thrown up by demonetisation and the government also assured the unions that ‘all possible’ acts on our demands will be exerted to secure central government employees’ long term and viable future, the central government employees’ unions has now decided to defer its Parliament March on December 15,” a top central government employees’ union leader today told The Sen Times on condition of anonymity.
It is to note that the central government employees’ union had earlier announced plan to lead their march to Parliament on December 15 against non-formation of High Level Committee for hike of minimum pay, fitment factor,higher allowances and other demands.
The Central government employees had gone on a day-long strike across the country on September 2 to press their above demands but they got nothing from the government.
Three top ministers of Union government- Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu had called central government employees’ unions leaders at Rajnath Singh’s house on June 30 and assured that the minimum pay and other demands were to be referred to High Level Committee to rectify but no such type of committee has been set up till date.
According to the pay commission’s recommendations, the minimum pay has been fixed at Rs.18,000 and the maximum at Rs.2.5 lakh for the cabinet secretary. The commission had recommended a 14.28% increase in basic pay and the cabinet went with ditto to it.
The previous 6th Pay Commission had recommended a 20 per cent hike which the government doubled while implementing it in 2008. So, the central government employees’ unions demanded to hike the minimum pay to Rs.26,000.
The central government has also kept in “abeyance” higher allowances on account of protests against demonetisation.
The ‘Committee on Allowances’ headed by the Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa has been set up on July 22 with the deadline of four months given to it by the cabinet to submit the report. It reveals that the Committee has to complete its work by November 21.
The hike in basic pay has been paid with arrears, which effective from January 1, 2016 but the hike in allowances, which will give the employees more money in the pocket, has been referred to the above committee to examine the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission on allowances other than dearness allowance for cabinet nod as the pay commission had recommended abolition of 51 allowances and subsuming 37 others out of 196 allowances.
The higher allowances will now be paid when situation will return to normalcy after cash crunch period i.e. in January.
Until acceptance of higher allowances, existing allowances are to be paid according to the existing rates under the existing pay structure, says an earlier official statement issued by the finance ministry.
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