7th Pay Commission: Central government employees to serve strike notice on June 9 for better pay hike

New Delhi: Central government employees have decided to go on an indefinite strike from July 11, for which they will serve strike notices to their respective departments on June 9 for getting a better pay hike as 7th Pay Commission award.

Chairman of the National Joint Council for Action (NJAC) for all central government employees M Raghavaiah, who is also the General Secretary of the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) – said the government’s response to the charter of demands submitted by the trade unions in December 2015 was disappointing and casual.

“Consequently, the organizations of the central government employees – Railways, Defence, Postal, Income Tax, Central Customs and Central Excise etc – whose number is over 32 lakh, have taken unanimous decision on 3 June 2016 to go on indefinite strike from 11 July 2016,” NFIR said in a statement.

The Central government employees unions have been demanding a minimum salary of Rs 26,000 as against Rs 18,000 recommended by the 7th Pay Commission.

The Finance Ministry sources confirmed that the Empowered Committee of Secretaries, who is processing the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission, is likely to propose a minimum salary Rs 21,000 per month.

The vice-president of NFIR J G Mahurkar said, “We have asked the government to raise the minimum salary to 26,000. But the government is now willing to increase the minimum salary to Rs 21,000.”

The trade unions’ also demanded to scrap the New Pension Scheme and to restore old pension rules for all central government employees who join since 2004.

The Empowered Committee of Secretaries is going to scrutinise recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission on June 11 finally to make government able to announce the 7th Pay Commission award to implement from July 1, Finance Ministry official said.

“Hence trade unions’ adopted pressure tactics for implementation 7th pay commission soon, so they will serve strike notice on June 9 before the Empowered Committee of Secretaries’ final meeting,” the Finance Ministry official added.

The employees have warned in the notice to go on an indefinite strike from July 11, earlier the strike was to be held on April 11.

Mahurkar also said, “April 11 strike was called off as the railway minister had sought time to work out a compromise.”