New Delhi: Central government employees will abstain from work on Friday to press for review of the hike in minimum pay and raising fitment factor 3.68 times from 2.57 times approved by the government based on the pay commission recommendations.
The National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) representing 33 lakh central employees has decided to join the general strike on Friday in order to get their demand of hike in minimum pay, as the government’s recent talks on Tuesday and Thursday with them got no result.
The Centre has fixed a minimum wage of Rs 18,000 in the pay hike approved by the Cabinet on June 29. However, the central government employees are protesting the decision calling it a meagre rise in view of the price rise.
“Government has initiated talks with NJCA. We welcome it. But the decision was not made of hike in minimum pay,” Convener of NJCA Shiv Gopal Mishra said.
On August 30 and September 1, the representatives of NJCA including Mishra were called for a meeting with secretaries of national anomaly committee and allowances committee respectively.
““I don’t think there will be result, and if there is any result, that will be sufficient for the central government employees. They have delayed the issue of minimum wage and fitment formula,” Mishra said.
Under the fitment formula, the government multiplied the minimum wage of Rs 7,000 fixed in the last pay commission with 2.57 and arrived at a minimum pay of Rs 18,000 per month.
The employees are demanding for the fitment formula of 3.68, which will result in minimum monthly pay about to Rs 26,000.
The National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) is an umbrella organisation of various Central Government employees’ unions, including Railways, post and telegraph and Income Tax.
However, the promise was already made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to consider to hike the minimum pay of central government employees beyond Rs 18,000.
TST
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