7th Pay Commission: There is  no news about exactly when the NDA government will take a final call on some 48 lakh central government employees minimum pay scale and fitment factor hike issues. However, these employees are not the only ones to suffer as each coming day brings reports where many workers have commenced strikes demanding similar relief in their pay scale beyond recommendation of 7th Pay Commission. In latest, news this time Rajasthan University Teachers have staged a one-day dharna on Friday demanding implementation beyond 7th CPC. 

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According to a DNA report, the RU teachers even wrote a letter to chief minister Vasundhara Raje. As per the report, a teacher said, "We are demanding the implementation of the sixth pay commission pay scale for six months. We have given a memorandum to the chief minister. But the government has not yet issued the order on it. We have to take the path of movement. 

The report further stated that, UGC’s separate pay panel recommended the implementation of the 7th pay commission scale in the universities. Later it was accepted on February 20, 2017 by UGC and further  sent it to the HRD Ministry. This was followed by the Cabinet of Modi government accepting the recommendation of the Pay Commission on November 2, 2017. Therefore, the central government issued the circular to the state governments to implement UGC pay scales.

But looks like so far no relief has been given to these RU teachers. This would be second strike this week under 7th Pay Commission. On May 24, 2018, a TOI report says, some 1000 staff members of the postal department in Coimbatore district boycotted work over the non implementation of the 7th pay commission recommendations.

Problem with them is their categorisation. They are extra departmental employees. In practical terms they are not direct employees of the postal department and this is hurting their chances of pay hikes. Their job is to make deliveries in rural areas. However. much to their disappointment, they have seen the 7th pay commission report recommendations being implemented for regular postal department’s employees from as far back 2016. The fortunes of these employees turned around, but gramin dak sevaks got nothing. 

Meanwhile, central government employees want fitment factor of 3.68 times with minimum pay scale of Rs 26,000. This is after the Union Cabinet revised their minimum pay to Rs 18,000 from previous Rs 7,000 per month, along with fitment factor of 2.57 in June 2016 leading to a major hike in all central government employees salaries.

It was known that, the government may hike minimum pay to Rs 21,000 and fitment factor to 3.00 times. However, the NDA government at centre claimed that they are not really looking to hike minimum pay beyond the recommendations provided in the 7th CPC report.