8th Pay Commission: Another major update is here for central government employees. Teachers from the central government are currently making substantial requests concerning the 8th Pay Commission. The Pragatisheel Shikshak Nyaya Manch, a group advocating for teachers in the Union Territory (UT), has presented a comprehensive memorandum to the government, seeking several significant changes related to salary and pension. Let’s delve into the specifics.
Request for a minimum salary of Rs 50,000
The main request from the teachers’ union is to raise the minimum basic salary for Level-1 employees from Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000. They propose that the fitment factor be increased from 2.62 to 3.83. In contrast, under the 7th Pay Commission, the basic salary was Rs 18,000 with a fitment factor of 2.57. The annual increment was set at 3%, which means that if their new demands are accepted, salaries could experience a notable rise.
Annual increment and DA combined
The PSNM has also suggested that annual increments be raised to between 6% and 7%. When the dearness allowance (DA) hits 50%, it should be incorporated into the basic salary. Additionally, DA should be calculated in decimal form, which could further enhance salary growth for employees.
Significant changes in HRA and other allowances
Teachers are also advocating for substantial enhancements in allowances. They are requesting an increase in HRA to 12%, 24%, and 36%, up from the current rates of 10%, 20%, and 30%. Furthermore, they are asking for the transport allowance to be raised to at least Rs 9,000 plus DA. They are also requesting a digital allowance of Rs 2,000 per month to support internet and AI needs.
Major advantages for children’s education
There is a call to raise the Child Education Allowance (CEA) from Rs 2,812 to Rs 7,000 per child each month. This increase is requested to be applicable until graduation. Additionally, teachers have proposed various recommendations concerning health and safety, including a fully cashless medical system (covering both OPD and IPD), raising group insurance coverage from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore, and offering post-retirement benefits such as CGHS.
Holidays and retirement benefits
The proposal calls for 14 days of casual leave (CL) and 30 days of earned leave (EL). It also calls for increasing EL encashment from 300 to 400 days. Furthermore, it calls for increasing gratuity from ₹25 lakh to ₹50 lakh.
Promotion and career growth
Teachers have also demanded changes regarding career growth. In this, promotions have been demanded every 6, 12, 18 and 24 years, promotion from TGT to PGT in 6-7 years. Let us tell you that currently many teachers have to wait for 15-20 years for promotion. Along with this, the return of OPS and retirement age are also included in this. The biggest demands include re-implementation of Old Pension Scheme (OPS), proposal to remove NPS and UPS and demand to increase the retirement age from 60 to 65 years. Apart from this, a system like One Rank One Pension (OROP) has also been demanded for civil servants.
