The 8th Pay Commission has taken the initiative to consult stakeholders, wherein the Chennai round of talks centered on salary revision, fitment factor, pensions, and other services-related aspects. The two-day stakeholder consultation in Chennai took place on September 7 and 8 where employee associations and retired employees appeared before the commission.
One of the primary issues that have come up in the course of the discussion is the fitment factor, which would be crucial for determining the revised basic salary for employees. Employee associations have demanded a considerably higher fitment factor. The NC-JCM, in its memorandum, recommended a fitment factor of 3.833 and the minimum basic pay of ₹69,000. These are demands made by employee groups and haven’t yet been endorsed by the government.
In addition, pension revision has become an issue of concern. Employee associations and retired employees have demanded better security of retirees with the same fitment factor for both categories. Some of the demands raised by retired employees include pension parity and change in pension commutation system.
Another crucial matter concerns the probable amalgamation of DA and basic pay. The stakeholder groups maintain that this step might affect the total salary scale and also the benefits in the future. The Commission is considering a variety of suggestions, coming up with recommendations after that.
For the time being, there is no official fitment factor or hike in salary according to the 8th Pay Commission. The Commission is still consulting with employees, pensioners, and other stakeholders. Following the consultation in Chennai, the next city on the agenda was Puducherry, followed by Chandigarh on 16 to 18 September.
The next big thing will be an assessment of demands made by the Commission and their recommendations to the government. Till the recommendations are finalized and accepted, all the figures circulated regarding salary increments, fitment factors or pensions must be considered just proposals or estimates.
