8th Pay Commission: Railway staff body seeks different fitment factors; here are their recommendations on salary hike

The Indian Railway Technical Supervisors’ Association (IRTSA) has proposed a separate fitment-factor structure for different categories of employees under the 8th Pay Commission, moving away from the uniform formula followed in previous pay revisions, according to an ET report.The railway technical staff body has suggested five different fitment factors ranging from 2.92 to 4.38 across pay levels, arguing that technical and safety-category employees should receive higher compensation reflecting job conditions and responsibilities.Under the proposal submitted to the 8th Central Pay Commission (8th CPC), employees in Levels 1-5 would receive a fitment factor of 2.92, while those in Levels 17-18 would receive 4.38.The proposed structure is:

The fitment factor is the multiplier used by pay commissions to revise the basic pay of central government employees. Under the 7th Pay Commission, a uniform fitment factor of 2.57 was applied across categories.IRTSA said the revised approach would create a more balanced salary structure across lower, middle and senior-level employees.“The wages of technocrats, specially those in Railways, should be fixed separately from those of non-technocrat employees with a view to adequately compensate them for hazards/job requirements, additional working hours and peculiar conditions of service,” the association said in its memorandum.The association has also proposed a revised cadre structure for railway technical supervisors.Under its recommendations:

IRTSA has additionally demanded five financial upgradations under the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) scheme over a 30-year service period, instead of the existing structure. It proposed financial upgradations after 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 years of service.The association said technical supervisors in the Railways should have a five-grade pay structure similar to that followed in central public sector enterprises such as ONGC.IRTSA also argued that safety-category railway posts from Level 6 onwards should receive higher indexing in fitment calculations, the report said.

Understanding the fitment factor

The fitment factor is the formula used by a pay commission to increase the basic salary of central government employees. In the 7th Pay Commission, a common fitment factor of 2.57 was applied to all employees to arrive at revised pay levels.Under IRTSA’s proposal for the 8th Pay Commission, different employee levels would have separate fitment factors. Based on these suggested multipliers, a Level 1-5 employee drawing a basic pay of Rs 20,000 could see revised pay rise to Rs 58,400 at a 2.92 factor.Similarly, a Level 6-8 employee with a Rs 45,000 basic pay could see salary increase to Rs 1,57,500 if a 3.50 multiplier is applied.For higher levels, a Level 13-16 employee with a current basic pay of Rs 1,20,000 could see revised pay rise to Rs 4,90,800 using the proposed 4.09 fitment factor.These calculations are illustrative examples shared as part of the proposal and are not official salary revisions.