8th Pay Commission: 5 Promotions, Salary Hike; Know All Updates

New Delhi: Central government employees are awaiting the recommendations of the Eighth Pay Commission. While the implementation of the Eighth Pay Commission's recommendations may take 18 months or more, employees' demands continue. In this context, a meeting of the National Council (Staff Side) and NC-JCM was held. Several key issues related to the 8th Pay Commission were discussed in detail. Representatives of employee organizations from various departments, including Defense, Railways, Postal, Income Tax, and Accounts and Audit, attended the meeting.

What are the demands?

The meeting discussed topics such as the central government's salary structure, promotion policy, annual salary increments, and pension reforms. The fitment factor was also discussed extensively. Employee organizations demanded that every employee receive at least five promotions within their service period. They stated that limited promotional opportunities are causing frustration among talented employees at lower levels. The organizations demanded that the same fitment factor be applied to employees and approximately 6.8 million pensioners/family pensioners.

Additionally, a heated debate was held on the pension system. Representatives reiterated their long-standing demand to abolish the National Pension System (NPS) and the Unified Pension System (UPS) and reinstate the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). The meeting proposed increasing the number of family units from three to five. Employee organizations argue that parents should also be included in salary determination, thus expanding the scope of the family unit.

Has a consensus been reached?

According to C. Srikumar, General Secretary of the All India Defence Employees Federation, an agreement has been reached to submit answers to the 18 questions posed by the 8th Pay Commission website within the stipulated timeframe. A memorandum encompassing the demands of all employee organizations will be prepared in the next 10 to 15 days and submitted to the Commission's Chairperson, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.

Under health facilities, employees in cities not covered by the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) currently receive a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000. Employee organizations have proposed increasing this to Rs 20,000 per month and including allowances for services such as the internet. The joint memorandum will be finalized at the next meeting on March 10th, after which it is expected to be submitted to the 8th Pay Commission within 1-2 weeks.