Equal Pay for Equal Work – 7th CPC Report

Equal Pay for Equal Work – 7th CPC Report

“Equal Pay for Equal Work  – Pay Matrix addresses these issues as well”

One recurrent theme in the representations of various associations relates to ‘equity’ or ‘Equal Pay for Equal Work.’

Ideally, the remuneration package should establish horizontal equity: employees should feel that their pay is comparable with the remuneration structure of similarly placed positions outside their organization. The employees should also feel that the pay structure shows linear progression pattern and thus the notion of vertical equity is also maintained.

The Pay Matrix addresses these issues as well. The Commission has designed the pay structure in such a manner that the pay progression recognizes the importance of vertical relativities and also assigns a reasonable basis to such progression. This has been done by assigning a uniform fitment factor of 2.57.

The Commission feels that there is strong need to create a culture of performance in government – from establishing standards of performance, to measuring, and promoting people based on performance. To emphasize on the culture of performance, the Commission has recommended that all the non-performers in the system should be phased out after 20 years.

The Commission has recommended that Performance Related Pay should be introduced in the government and that all Bonus payments should necessarily be linked with productivity.

The various Central Services have contended that this edge given to the IAS and the IFS is iniquitous and violates the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work.’

They have pointed out that the Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the UPSC is an examination that is common for recruitment to around 18 Group `A’ Services and that the choice of Service exercised by the candidates is based upon very many factors. It is not necessary that only the top-most go to the IAS. It has also been pointed out that officers of most of the Services are, in their early years, posted to small places and are subjected to many transfers. Therefore, the grant of the edge is seen as unfair.

Analysis and Recommendations : This Commission has studied the entire issue and deliberated in detail on the issue in the Chapter 7.2. The Chairman has sought not only to retain the two increment edge within the proposed pay matrix for the IAS and Indian Foreign Service but also extended it to the Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service. Shri Vivek Rae, Member, Seventh CPC is not in agreement with extension of the edge in pay to the IPS and IFoS. Dr.Rathin Roy, Member, Seventh CPC is not in agreement with the concept of an edge in pay.

7th Pay Commission Latest News – RTI Reply reveals Pay Parity denial for Defence Personnel at par with IAS

Empowered Committee formed by Government is in the process of examining of 7th Commission Recommendations. After this negative reply by MOD, Defence Personnel might approach the committee to look in to the matter of pay parity

7th Pay Commission Latest News – RTI reply reveals Pay Parity denial for Defence Personnel at par with IAS, IPS and other Group A Civil Services in Central Government

At a time when Central government employees are waiting for the implementation of Seventh pay commission, a new revelation has come to light. According to reports, there is deep distrust between government and armed forces over the pay parity issue.

It is being said that three services had expressed dissatisfaction over some of the recommendations of the Pay commission and had requested Commission to make required changes. Later pay commission approached Defence Ministry with their demands.

Now under RTI query, it has been revealed that the Defence Ministry negated army officers pay parity with civilian counterparts in IAS, IPS and other allied services.

An Army officer was quoted by ET as saying, “We thought it was the pay commission that was selling us short, but this RTI actually revealed it was the Defence Ministry officials”. Ministry also gave reasons why their demands were not approved. “The basis of this demand i.e. merger of rank pay in basic pay was examined in a detailed matter by the Pranab Mukherjee committee report and the same was not accepted hence the case is not supported”, officer further said.

Ministry also not accepted Army men’s argument that civilian bureaucrat mustn’t be paid equal sum of amount in comparison to their defence counterparts. Defence Ministry said that both are different thing as their service conditions and the nature of job is quite different.

What are the grievances of armed forces? Army Officers say that if the Pay Commission is implemented in the present form, it will position them much below their civilian counterparts in terms of salaries, facilities and status.

One of the main grudge that the armed forces have is with regard to risk-hardship matrix. The officers say that a soldier posted in Siachen Glacier, which has the highest degree of both risk and hardship, gets an allowance of Rs 31,500 per month.

In contrast, a civilian bureaucrat from the All India Services draws 30 per cent of his salary as “hardship allowance” when posted anywhere outside the comfort zone.

Under the new scale, a senior IAS official posted in a city in northeast will draw much more as “hardship allowance”, compared to the Rs 31,500 per month drawn by military officers in Siachen.

Source: One India

Madhya Pradesh Government Employees To Strike Over Pay Commission Dispute

Madhya Pradesh Government Employees To Strike Over Pay Commission Dispute

Bhopal: Five lakh Madhya Pradesh government employees across the state will go on strike today against the state government’s grade pay fixation offer, which was recommended by an independent pay review body.

Madhya Pradesh is the first state to revise pay scales of its employees in accordance with the pay commission recommendations asking for rationalization from pay commission, employees are pushing for grade fixation and interim relief instead.

“Talks on grade fixation have failed with principal secretary of GAD (general administration department). So we have decided to strike work today.

However, essential services will not be hampered,” State employees union general secretary Laxmi Narayan Sharma said.

The state has approximately 1.5 lakh employees in Rs 3200-3600 grade pay and employees demand that it should be amended equivalent to grade pay in Chhattisgarh or at the Centre.

“No state or Centre has such a grade pay, which is unacceptable to employees,” Sharma said.
Employees are demanding three scale grade on completion of 10 years, 20 years and 28 years of service, fixing salary hike on January 1 and July 1, regularization of daily wagers and ad hoc employees and simplification of appointments on compassionate grounds.

The state has 19 recognized and 16 non-recognized employee unions with over seven lakh employees as members.

Despite financial burden, the state government had announced recommendations of sixth pay commission, dearness allowance from 7% to 10% during 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had recently implemented some major recommendations of pay commission, including increase in house rent allowance, daily allowance, conveyance allowance, special allowance for employees posted in tribal scheduled areas, meals allowance, uniform allowance for those in police force, jail and forest departments.

Employees has never had it so good. The chief minister passed the order that A-Grade officers with basic pay of Rs 7,600 will be able to fly for out-of-state for official business. Employees with basic pay scale of Rs 6,600 and above are entitled to fly private operator flights within the state for official work.
Conveyance allowance was increased by 200% to 350% depending on pay scales since 2003. Daily allowance has also been increased between 25% and 208% in the same period, GAD minister Lal Singh Arya.

State revenue minister stated, “The government has already done too much for employees. They should not press for their illegitimate demands now.” With a debt of Rs1.80 lakh crore by the end of 2015-16 and financial burden to cope with farm crisis, drought, insurance, health and education schemes, the government, however, seems to be unwilling to negotiate with employees.

Inputs with TNN