7th Pay Commission: Latest news on anomaly and discussions with government

7th Pay Commission: Latest news on anomaly and discussions with government

The 7th Pay Commission recommendations were approved by the Union Cabinet. However the Central Government employees are unhappy. There are a variety of issues that they have been raising regarding both pay hike, pay gap and allowances. The National Council (Staff Side) Joint Consultative Machinery for Central Government employees has fixed important items as part of the agenda. This would be the main points that would be discussed with the government to get the issues resolved.

Anomaly in computation of minimum wage

"We are not in agreement with the methodology adopted in computing the minimum WAGE. We give hereunder briefly the reasons thereof. The retail prices of the commodities quoted by the Labour bureau is irrational, imaginary and even absurd in respect of certain articles at certain places. The Staff Side had objected to the adoption of those rates in its meeting with the Commission on 9th June, 2015.

Fixation of Pay on Promotion

"When a Government Servant promoted / appointed to a higher post which involves assumption of duties and responsibilities of greater importance than those attached to such permanent post, he will draw as initial pay the stage of the time scale next above his substantive pay in respect of the old post". In the existing Pay Matrix the vertical stages are same in most of the Levels, such Level 2 & 3, 6 & 7, 7 & 8, and 6 & 8 etc. Because of this, if an employee is promoted under the regular promotion scheme or MACP his pay will be almost the same. This has happened only because Rule 13 of the revised Pay Rules, 2016 the fixation of pay on promotion is stipulated in the manner stated in para 1 above. In other words, the omission of the words at the stage next above the notional pay in FR was changed to a cell equal to the figure so arrived at. Necessary amendment in the Rule-13 that - "on promotion/upgradation of an employee, if the stage/cell on pay fixation is equal in the promoted/upgraded level, he shall be placed at the next higher cell/stage in the promoted scale (Level)' - may be made. 

Date of effect of allowances 

The pay panel states that its recommendations once accepted must take effect from 1.1.2016. The Govt accepted this recommendation and made it effective from 1.1.2016 only for Pay where as allowances were made effective with effect from 1.7.2017. Salary package contains pay and allowances and cannot be bifurcated and treated separately. This issue had been the subject matter of the proceedings before the Board of Arbitration. The award of the Board of Arbitration in CA No. 8/1986 dated 4.1.1989 was accepted and implemented where as the award on the second occasion in CA No 2/2002 dated 15.4.2004 being the same has not yet been acted upon. The staff side demands that the grant of above stated allowances must be from 1.1.2016 as in the case of Pay.

7th Pay Commission anomaly: 

Other points on agenda Agenda Item No 1: Anomaly in computation of Minimum Wage Agenda Item No 2: 3% Increment at all stages Agenda Item No 3: Removal of condition of 3% stipulated to grant bunching benefit Agenda Item No 4: Fixation of Pay on Promotion Agenda Item No 5: Removal of Anomaly in Pay Matrix Agenda Item No 6: Anomaly due to index rationalization Agenda Item No 7: Anomaly arising from the decision to reject option No.1 in pension fixation Agenda Item No 8: Lesser Pay in higher Level of Pay Matrix Agenda Item No 9: Bunching of steps in the Revised Pay structure Agenda Item No 10: Minimum Pension Agenda Item No 11: Date of Effect of Allowances - HRA, Transport Allowance, CEA etc. Agenda Item No 12: Parity in Pay Scale between Sr Auditor/Sr Accountant of IA&AD Agenda Item No 13: Parity in Pay Scales between Assistants/Stenographers Agenda Item No 14: Grant of GP 5400 to Senior Section Officer of Railways & AAOs of IA&AD Agenda Item No 15: Technical Supervisors of Railways 

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