New Delhi, May 4: The wait remains unprecedented for the central government employees as the government is yet to respond to the National Joint Council of Action - the consolidated body of employee unions - seeking revision of the salaries recommended by the 7th Pay Commission report for the Group C and Group D workers.

NJCA convenor Shiv Gopal Mishra said the salaries should be revised using a fitment factor of 3.68, rather than 2.57 as recommended by the Justice (retd) AK Mathur led 7th pay panel.

While speaking to this reporter, Mishra said the government is yet to respond to their demand. "We are devastated in the manner in which the government is addressing the issue. We have not received any response yet. The Staff Side has been raising the issue constantly in the meeting with government representatives," he said.

"The employees are agitated. The minimum wage which they have recommended (Rs 18,000) is inadequate to sustain expenses under the spiralling rate of inflation,"  Mishra added.

The minimum salary of central government employees, as recommended by the 7th Pay Commission, has been increased from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000. The hike came into effect after using 2.57 as the fitment factor.

The NJCA, however, has demanded the wages to be revised using 3.68 as the fitment factor, which would raise the minimum pay to Rs 26,000.

The demand was first raised by the employee forum in July, 2016, when the Union Cabinet had approved the 7th CPC recommendation. The NJCA had also threatened an indefinite strike which was expected to see a participation of over 33 lakh government employees, including those of the Railways.

The strike was, however, deferred by Mishra after receiving an assurance from the government that all their demands would be addressed by a High-Level Committee chaired by the then Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa. The committee, while making few changes to the pension policy and allowances' structure, refrained from altering the fitment factor.

In a recent response to the question of wage increment in the Rajya Sabha, MoS Finance Pon Radhakrishnan said the government, as of now, is not looking forward towards revising the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 04, 2018 10:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).