7th Pay Commission: Is minimum pay hike happening or not? Conflicting reports confuse employees

Various conflicting reports have been surfaced in media claiming that despite of the fact that government had denied any pay hike, salary hike and increase in fitment factor for employees upto the pay matrix level 5 would happen. 

Quoting financial ministry sources, the report stated 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. 

Earlier this month, the government disappointed around 50 lakh government employees when it denied reports of any pay hike beyond the recommendations of the seventh pay commission. 

"The minimum pay of Rs 18,000 [per month] 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 Minister of State Finance, P Radhakrishnan in a written reply.

After Radhakrishnan's reply, the employees' associations reportedly are planning to go on a strike, Sen Times reported. 

The Sen Times reported that the National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) has threatened to go on strike. 

NJAC’s Shiv Gopal Mishra, who led the negotiation over 7th Pay Commission on behalf of central government employees, expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s decision and said the struggle for higher minimum pay will continue, the publication said. 

“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. We will continue our struggle in an organised manner. If negotiations fail to bring the result, the option of agitation cannot be ruled out,” Mishra said. 

Currently, the Central government employees are getting basic pay according to the fitment formula of 2.57 of the basic pay and if this big step is taken, it will come as a massive news for the Central government employees. 

Fitment factor is a figure used by 7th CPC with which the basic pay in 6th CPC regime (i.e Pay in Pay band + Grade pay) is multiplied in order to fix basic pay in revised pay structure (i.e 7th CPC). Fitment factor formulated by 7th CPC is 2.57.