03 Feb, 2014 03:05 PM

With DA touching 100%, demand for DA merger to intensify

The Labour Bureau Government of India has released the All-India Cconsumer Price Index for industrial workers(CPI-IW) for the month of December 2013 and with this the calculations show that the hike in dearness allowance will be 10 per cent making the DA%. The exact percentage hike in DA could be calculated only when the revised all India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) for December is released on February 28. (Read : December CPI-IW at 239, Down but still DA to be 100% wef January, 2014)

The government employees are eagerly looking for the announcement on the hike. Meanwhile the unions are expected to voice the demands for the DA merger.

"It would be 10 per cent this time and would be announced in March," Confederation of Central Government Employees President K K N Kutty told PTI.

"Besides, raising DA to 100 per cent, the government should revise the pay and merge DA with basic pay", he said.

As per practice, the DA is merged with basic pay when it breaches the 50 per cent mark. DA merger helps employees as their other allowances are paid as a proportion of basic pay.

Kutty informed the central government employees would go on a two-day strike from February 12 and demand pay revision which would be possible through constituting the 7th Pay Commission. The government has announced setting up of the commission last year.

He said: "This DA hike won't help much as actual rise in the cost of living is about 300 per cent as on January 1, 2014. But they would pay us 100 per cent as DA."

There are also rumors that merger of 50% DA will be taken up by the Central Government before the budget session of Parliament in February 2014. (Read : DA merger likely : Unconfirmed reports)