Disgruntlement at pay panel proposals

Confederation plans protest from Monday; many feel let down by the minimum pay proposed.

June 30, 2016 02:33 am | Updated November 17, 2021 02:32 am IST - NEW DELHI:

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley: "Pay in the government sector is distinctly greater than that in the private sector so there can’t be protests from employees".

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley: "Pay in the government sector is distinctly greater than that in the private sector so there can’t be protests from employees".

The Seventh Pay Commission recommendations did not receive an enthusiastic response from most government employees, with at least one employees’ federation threatening protests. Military officers said their real grievances had not been resolved.

The Confederation of Central Government Employees (CCGE) on Wednesday registered its protest against the recommendations, while civil services associations remained tight-lipped awaiting complete details.

The CCGE has threatened to advance the launch of an indefinite strike it planned from July 11 to July 4. “The government employees had demanded a minimum salary of Rs. 26,000 as against the Rs. 18,000 recommended by the commission,” said an official.

While the Indian Police Service Association did not issue any formal statement, an officer on condition of anonymity said: “What a pity that a few IAS officers decide the destiny of the civil services, treat commission reports so contemptuously, throw the progressive civil service reform agenda into the dustbin.”

Reacting to the government’s decision, a senior Indian Revenue Service official said the increase in salary was not as high.

An Army officer pointed out that overall the new matrix system would worsen the disparity between military officers and their civilian counterparts. “The last Pay Commission had any way dealt a bad blow to us. This has not only failed to repair the damage but will only worsen it,” he said, referring to the Non Functional Upgrade (NFU) that only the civilian officers enjoy now.

It is in the military that officers stagnate more than any service, because of the steep pyramid. However, we do not get the NFU, whereas civilian counterparts enjoy it,” he said.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.