7th Pay Commission: Latest update, bad news, no pay hike in near future

The government has made it clear that there would be no salary hike beyond the 7th Pay Commission. However the issue would be looked into by the National Anomaly Committee and certain changes would be made.

The problem is that there is no time frame given in this regard and this process could take several months. Until then negotiations would be on.

For now, however, there is no proposal to hike the basic minimum pay from Rs 18,000 to Rs 21,000.

Minister of State for Finance P Radhakrishnan said that the government 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/- 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 MoS for Finance P Radhakrishnan in his reply to the Upper House of Parliament.

He was replying to a question by Samajwadi Party lawmaker Neeraj Shekhar in which he asked, “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.”

Meanwhile, in another development a few days back, an Office Memorandum has been issued in which the pay anomaly definition has been amended. This would allow the NAC to take any decision relating to pay anomaly.

(1) Definition of Anomaly

Anomaly will include the following cases

a) Where the Official Side and the Staff Side are of the opinion that any recommendation is in contravention of the principle of the policy enunciated by the 7th Pay Commission itself without the Commission assigning any reason;

b) Where the maximum of the Level in the Pay Matrix corresponding to the applicable Grade Pay in the Pay Band under the pre-revised structure as notified vide CCS(RP) Rules 2016, is less than the amount an employee is entitled to be fixed at, as per the formula for fixation of pay contained in the said Rules;

c) Where the Official side and the Staff Side are of the opinion that the vertical and horizontal relativities have been disturbed as a result of the 7th Pay Commission to give rise to the anomalous situation.

d) Where the amount of revised allowance is less than the existing rate or any other anomaly observed while implementing the revised allowance.

The rest of the contents of the OM issued by DoPT under reference no. No.11/2/2016-JCA dated 16.08.2016 shall remain unchanged.