8th Pay Commission: IRTSA seeks fitment factor of 4.38, 5% annual increment for railway supervisors

The 8th Pay Commission has received a proposal from IRTSA for graded fitment factors ranging from 2.92 to 4.38 across pay levels. Railway technical supervisors also want a 5% annual increment and changes to minimum-pay calculations. Read on to know more. 

The 8th Pay Commission recently concluded its meeting in Bengaluru on 8 October. Now the commission is gearing up for another set of key meetings in Mumbai starting from 22 October. During these meetings, prominent employee unions and associations have highlighted their grievances and views related to aspects such as fitment factor multiplier, salary revision, challenges of inflation, employee morale, and a host of other issues.

On similar lines, the railway technical supervisors, through their earlier submitted memorandum, have sought a higher fitment factor for senior-level employees under the 8th pay commission. They have argued that a ‘uniform multiplier’ does not adequately reflect the differences in job complexities, responsibilities, technical requirements and safety-related duties and obligations.

Due to the same reasons, the Indian Railways Technical Supervisors’ Association (IRTSA), in its memorandum to the 8th Central Pay Commission, has proposed a concept of ‘graded fitment factor.’

In this, the applied fitment factor is not uniform across, but it ranges from 2.92 for Level 1 employees to 4.38 for Levels 17 and 18. IRTSA has also demanded an increase in the annual increment from 3% to 5% of basic pay.