8th Pay Commission: From pay-matrix jumps to promotional scales, unions want MACP overhaul; here's why

In its memorandum, the Ministerial Staff Association (MSA), Survey of India, told the Commission that MACP must move from the pay matrix to the promotional hierarchy. “Financial upgradation under the MACP scheme should be granted within the ‘Promotional Hierarchy’ (next post's scale) rather than just the next Grade Pay.”

The MSA further said that the number of upgradations be raised from three to five, “at intervals of 8, 15, 22, 28, and 32 years of service."

Under the present rules, the MACP grants the next level in the pay matrix rather than the next scale in the actual promotional hierarchy, according to MSA.

" For instance, an employee in Level 7 may receive an MACP to Level 8, even if their actual next promotional post is Level 10. This disconnect makes financial progression significantly lower than what a functional promotion would provide," it said.

The association warned this has bred demoralisation, with cases where “junior staff promoted to higher responsibilities (such as Office Superintendent) remain in Level 6, while their juniors who did not receive a promotion receive Level 7 under MACP.”

The Federation of National Postal Organisations (FNPO), in a 728-page memorandum, devoted an entire chapter to MACP reform and goes further on procedure.

The present MACP Scheme provides only three financial upgradations at intervals of 10, 20, and 30 years of service. FNPO called this scheme as a case of “prolonged stagnation requiring a ten-year wait per financial upgradation, inconsistent with the workload-intensive nature of postal operations.”

FNPO also proposed five upgradations at 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 years while arguing that the benefit must be decoupled from promotion. “Refusal of promotion shall not result in denial or postponement of MACP benefits.”

The FNPO's memorandum aligns the demand with “the NC-JCM Staff Side's common demand for a minimum of five financial advancements in a 30-year career.”.

The National Council-JCM Staff Side has demanded that MACP be granted in the promotional hierarchy, a position echoed by many other unions.

The Railway Senior Citizens' Welfare Society (RSCWS) flagged the human cost of the 10-year gap, noting “the long gap of 10 years between financial up gradations results in extended stagnation, particularly in cadres where promotional posts are limited.” It suggested “a shorter interval of 5 years or a more flexible mechanism.”.

Together, the memorandums frame MACP reform as the test case for whether the 8th Pay Commission can fix a scheme that, in the view of multiple employees' bodies rewards neither seniority nor the actual work an employee does while leaves too many retiring in the same grade they joined.