8th Pay Commission: Government teachers are in trouble! Basic salary directly crosses Rs 50,000?

The agitation among central government teachers regarding the 8th Pay Commission has intensified. Progressive Teachers Nyay Manch (PSNM) has opened its box of demands before the Commission. If the memorandum submitted by the organization regarding salary, allowances, pension and promotion is accepted, there will be a huge jump in the salary of teachers. Teachers argue that in view of rising inflation and today’s economic situation, a major change in facilities is the need of the hour.

Big demand on salary and fitment factor

PSNM has given maximum emphasis on minimum wage in its demands. The organization proposes that the minimum basic salary of Level-1 (Group D) employees should be between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000. At the same time, for entry level teachers (Level-6), it has been proposed to increase this figure directly to Rs 1,34,500. Apart from this, there has also been a demand to increase the fitment factor from the current 2.62 to 3.83, which may lead to a huge increase in the in-hand salary of the employees.

Will Dearness Allowance (DA) be merged?

The teachers’ organization has demanded that as soon as Dearness Allowance (DA) touches the 50 percent mark, it should be merged into the basic salary. Besides, it has also been suggested to increase the Education Allowance (CEA) given for children’s education from the current Rs 2,800 to Rs 7,000 per month per child. Teachers believe that this will reduce the burden of providing good education to children.

More money for rent and transport

There may also be good news regarding House Rent Allowance (HRA). PSNM has proposed to increase it from the existing slabs of 10%, 20% and 30% to 12%, 24% and 36%. There has also been a demand to increase the transport allowance to 12-15% of the basic salary or fix it at a minimum of Rs 9,000. Not only this, keeping in mind the needs of the digital era, a unique suggestion has also been made to give a new ‘Digital Allowance’ of Rs 2,000 per month.

Holidays, Bonuses and Free Treatment

The organization has also demanded changes in the leave calendar, which includes 14 casual leaves, 30 earned leaves and 20 medical leaves in a year. There is also a proposal to increase the amount of leave encashment received at the time of retirement from 300 days to 400 days. Talking about bonus, a demand has been made to increase it directly from Rs 6,908 to Rs 27,640. On the health front, it has been suggested to implement 100% cashless medical facility (OPD and IPD) for teachers.

Emphasis on old pension and retirement age

Teachers’ stand on the pension issue is clear—they want the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) back. The organization has talked about abolishing NPS and UPS. Also, it has been proposed to increase the retirement age from 60 years to 65 years and improve the MACP scheme for promotion to give upgradation at 6, 12, 18 and 24 years. The teachers organization hopes that these reforms from the 8th Pay Commission will not only improve their financial condition but will also improve the quality of education.