New Delhi: Several Associations representing central government employees are observing today as a “black day” to protest against some of the “retrograde recommendations” of the seventh pay commission.

“We are observing today as a black day all over the country by wearing black badges,” said Shiv Gopal Mishra, Convener, National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) of central government employees.

Terming the Seventh Pay Commission report as a “width pay gap discrimination between low paid employees and higher officers”, Mishra said, “We hope that government will think about us before accepting it.”

In its report, the Pay Commission has recommended to increase the pay gap between the minimum pay and maximum pay from existing 1:12 to 1: 13.8 which is more than our demand of ratio of 1: 8, he added.

The fifth and sixth Central Commissions have given a pay rise of 40 per cent, while this Pay Commission has only given a pay increase of 14.29 per cent,’’ he also said.

Another leader Ravindran B Nair, general secretary, Mumbai Income Tax Employees Federation, said, “We are totally disappointed with the recommendations of the seventh pay commission which is the worst-ever after the second pay commission.”

He said central government employees were expecting a minimum pay of Rs 26,000 but the pay commission has recommended only Rs 18,000. This amounts to an increase of just Rs 2,250 from the present pay of Rs 15,750 after a period of 10 years.

“After the deductions towards the Central Government Employees Group Insurance Scheme (CGEGIS) worth Rs 1,500 and the contribution towards the New Pension Scheme, effectively there will be hardly any increase in the take home salary,” Nair said.

In some instances the take home salary will be less than what it is today, he added.

Both pointed that the pay commission has recommended for abolition of various allowances like risk allowance, small family allowance, festival advance, motor cycle advance.

Associations representing central government employees also pointed that the pay commission reduced the House Rent Allowance (HRA) from existing 30 per cent to 24 per cent, 20 per cent to 16 per cent and 10 per cent to 8 per cent. This is against the interests of central government employees.

Through the protest rallies all over the country, central government employees with wearing black badges are conveying government to improve the pay gap ratio of the seventh pay commission recommendations and for non-implementation of some of the adverse recommendations of the Pay Commission.

However, the Finance Ministry said the Ministry will examine the report and only then a decision will be taken at ministry level before cabinet nod.