Pay disparity may lead agitation in Goa.

If one section of the government employees, namely the Goa Civil Services (GCS) officers, are able to retain their upgraded pay scales in the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, then it is possible that the state government may face an agitation from other sections like the Goa Government Employees Association, the engineers association, etc. whose pay scales have been downgraded. 

The Goa Civil Service Association (GCSA) has threatened a strike from January 12 if their salaries are not revised as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. The association had set January 9 as the deadline for their demands to be met. There are about 130 officers in the GCS. 

Government sources said the GCS employees had got their payscale upgraded much earlier. When the Fifth Pay Commission was implemented in 1996, the government took a decision to downgrade everybody's upgraded pay scales.

Around June 2007, the government was faced with an agitation from the Goa government employees association (GGEA). The GGEA was demanding parity in pay scales alleging that certain selected grades including secretariat staff were given upgrades in pay scales while other categories were left out. The standoff continued for some time with the association threatening to go on an indefinite strike. 

The association had launched a pen down tool down strike' which was a success hampering work across all government departments barring essential services. The impasse reached a stage where the government had to invoke the Essential Services Managment Act (ESMA). 

At that time, the government had two options before it. First was to bring down the upgraded salaries of about 1200 employees. The second, and more difficult option, was to give the entire workforce of around 40000 government employees a raise to restore parity. The government chose the first option and in its order dated October 10, 2008, the finance department decided to lower the upgraded pay scales while implementing the Sixth Pay Commission. The GCS was part of that list and is opposing the decision to downgrade their scales. 

But the question before the government is this. Can the government retain the upgraded pay scales of one section of employees, the GCS officers, without running the risk of other government employees like the GGEA or the engineers coming on the roads with the same demand? The matter is under examination of the Finance department. 

But a member of the GCS group defended his group’s demands. He agreed that the pay scales of the GCS were not downgraded when the 5thPay Commission was implemented, while those of some other cadres were downgraded.

But the GCS scales were not downgraded only because of an order from the high court. Secondly, the GCS are governed by the Goa Civil Services Rules which decides their recruitment, pay scales, seniority, etc. The GCS scales are independent of the other scales, the GCS officer said. 

Source : Times of India.