Increase Minimum Pay and Fitment Formula

              After the continuous struggle by AIDTOA, CCGGOO, CCGEW and others including strikes from 2011 onwards, the then UPA Government was compelled to announce appointment of 7th Central Pay Commission. Gujarat State Government objected the decision of the UPA Government to appoint 7th CPC.  Shri. Narendra Modiji was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at that time.  After coming to power at the Centre in 2014, the NDA Govt. made deliberate attempt and intervention to delay and deny the legitimate demands of the Central Govt. employees and Pensioners including the demands relating to Minimum Pay, Fitment Formula, HRA from 01-01-2016, Option-I for pensioners etc.

            When NJCA, CCGGOO  decided to go on indefinite strike from 11th July, 2016 a Group of Cabinet Ministers including Shri. Rajnath Singh, Home Minister, Shri. Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister and the then Railway Minister Shri. Suresh Prabhu, gave categorical assurance on 30-06-2016 that Minimum Pay and Fitment formula will be increased and for that purpose a High Level Committee will be constituted.  Even after a lapse of 2½ years neither High Level Committee was constituted nor Minimum Pay and Fitment Formula is increased.

        The Finance Ministry in its Lok Sabha reply dated 11-12-2018, categorically stated as follows:

          “The fitment factor for the purpose of fixation of pay in the revised pay structure, based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission is 2.57  which is uniformly applicable to all categories of employees.  As the same is based on the specific and considered recommendations of the 7th CPC, no change ,thereon is envisaged”.

         Thus the NDA Government has betrayed 32 lakhs Central Govt. employees and 33 lakhs Central Govt. Civilian Pensioners.

         The Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Bhupendra Nath Hazarika and Another Vs. State of Assam and others (reported in 2013(2)Sec.516) observed as follows, which is quoted by 7th CPC in its preface -

          “It should always be borne in mind that legitimate aspirations of the employees are not guillotined and a situation is not created where hopes end in despair.  Hope for everyone is gloriously precious and that a model employer should not convert it to be deceitful and treacherous......  A sense of calm sensibility and concerned sincerity should be reflected in every step.  An atmosphere of trust has to prevail and when the employees are absolutely sure that their trust shall not be betrayed and they shall be treated with dignified fairness, then only the concept of good governance can be concretized.  We say no more”.

        The NDA Government has “guillotined” our aspirations. Govt. has betrayed the employees and Pensioners and created an atmosphere where “Hopes ended in despair”.  Govt. converted our hope to be “deceitful and treacherous”, “Dignified Fairness”, “Calm sensibility” and “Concerned Sincerity”  in treating our case is lacking on the part of Government.  Hence we have no alternative but to fight back disastrous neo- liberal policies.