7th Pay Commission Latest News: Change in Fitment Factor Likely For Salary Hike Beyond 7th CPC Recommendations

New Delhi, Sep 4: The government is likely to make change in fitment factor to raise salary of low-level central goverment employees beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. The government may raise fitment factor from 2.56 times, which was recommended by the 7th Pay Commission, to 2.80 times, a Sen Times report said.

“The government is considering hiking fitment factor 2.7 or 2.8 for encouraging the lower level employees on the report of NAC. It will be announce before general elections," an official was quoted as saying. Central government employees, who receive salaries from pay matrix level 1 to 5, are expected to receive hike in pay beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

The 7th Pay Commission had proposed to hike minimum pay from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000 per month with fitment factor 2.57 for lower-level central government employees. The recommendation was approved by the Cabinet and came into force from January 1, 2016. Since then, the employees have been demanding to raise minimum pay to Rs 26,000 with fitment factor 3.68.

There has been uncertainity over salary hike beyond the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission after Minister of State Finance, P Radhakrishnan's statement in Rajya Sabha.

“The minimum pay of Rs.18,000/- p.m. and fitment factor of 2.57 are based on the specific recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission in the light of the relevant factors taken into account by it. Therefore, no change therein is at present under consideration,” Minister of State Finance, P Radhakrishnan had told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 04, 2018 08:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).