The central government is likely to come up with the Eighth Pay Commission in the near future, which should provide solace to government employees and pensioners. Many workers of the government demands usually step up after a recent defeat in Lok Sabha and seats reduction hence pressures the government to give in to the demands of its workers. This pressure has come over serious consideration on the issue of the formation of the Eighth Pay Commission.
The History of Pay Commissions in India
It is a tradition in India that a new pay commission is constituted every ten years. Seventh Pay Commission was implemented in the month of January of 2016. Government employees’ Unions are today demanding the Eighth Pay Commission, nearly eight years after it was first demanded.
As the government mentioned initially thematic for the further pay commissions may not be requited after the seventh, establishing new pay commissions has been made essential due to changing external conditions and increasing pressure from the employees.
Prospective Amendment in Payscale and Fitment Factor
Even in the Seventh Pay Commission they had demanded a fitment factor to be at 3.68, but the government has finally fixed at 2.57. The fitment factor satisfies a large amount of importance because by application of this factor the salary and pension structure of employees in government organisation is decided.
According to the Seventh Pay Commission, the minimum basic pay had risen from ₹7000 to ₹18000 per month. For the next eighth pay commission employees are demanding fitment factor of 3.68 for which there is a possibility of 30 percent hike in pay structure and pensions.
Increasing Political Pressure for the Eighth Pay Commission
Recently, employees and pensioners have pressing their demands to get OPS and formation of Eighth pay commission. Campaigns have continued to put the government under more pressure, for example with ‘No OPS, No Vote’. Therefore, in the past years the government has also planned to follow a Universal Pension Scheme (UPS). These ever rising demands have turned the Eighth Pay Commission into a major concern for the government.
The Political Consequence of Upcoming Election
While BJP has already declared the assembly polls in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir it is moving into intense poll battle in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi. The lower tally of government in the Lok Sabha elections has forced Prime Minister Narendra Modi to realize that supporting demands of government employees and pensioners are politically essential. This is probably why the Eighth Pay Commission is in the offing before the next general polls to attend to this growing demand.
There are some recommendations made by the eighth pay commission which are as follows:
Employees are demanding fitment factor of 3.68, this may increase minimum basic pay at Rs.26000. Also, there are talk of raising the minimum pension from ₹9000 to ₹13000.
schedule of the eighth pay commission
If the Eighth Pay Commission is set up, it would probably be a year or more before the new commission presents its suggestions, though the new method could begin by around 2026. A timetable has not yet been set, but employees and pensioners are optimistic thus waiting the decision of the government on September 25.
