8th Pay Commission: AIDEF Demands Rs 69,000 Basic Pay, Old Pension Scheme Return
The All India Defence Employees Federation has placed four key demands before the 8th Pay Commission, including a minimum salary of Rs 69,000, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme and changes to pension rules.
The All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF) has shared fresh arguments for its four main demands with the 8th Pay Commission. These demands will impact lakhs of central government employees and pensioners. The union represents civilian defence workers and has explained its stand through multiple letters to the commission.
The federation demands a bigger family unit size for salary calculations. They also want the commuted pension restored after 11 years instead of 15. Furthermore, the union demands the return of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and wants the commission to include pre-January 1, 2026 pensioners in its Terms of Reference.
AIDEF bases its calculations on a five-member family unit. The union recommends a 3.83 fitment factor for all central government employees under the 8th Pay Commission. They also demand a minimum monthly salary of Rs 69,000.
AIDEF sent multiple letters to the 8th Pay Commission on September 21 and 22, 2026. The union explained the logic behind its four major demands in these letters. They strongly pushed for the five-member family rule, the Rs 69,000 minimum wage, and the 3.83 fitment factor.
The civilian defence workers union points out a major flaw in the 7th Pay Commission. The previous commission counted only three family members for salary calculations. It included children but completely ignored dependent parents. AIDEF insists that employees carry the financial burden of their parents too.
AIDEF argues that larger families naturally face higher living expenses. The union calls the demand for a higher salary and fitment factor completely justified. They want the 8th Pay Commission to fix the minimum pay at Rs 69,000 and apply a 3.83 fitment factor to manage these rising costs.
AIDEF strongly demands the return of the Old Pension Scheme for central government employees. The union notes that employees who joined on or after January 1, 2004, currently fall under the National Pension System (NPS). The government had replaced the defined-benefit and non-contributory OPS with the NPS.
AIDEF argues that the NPS creates huge uncertainty about the final retirement corpus. This final amount depends heavily on employee and employer contributions, investment returns, and market conditions at retirement. The union wants the 8th Pay Commission to scrap both the NPS and the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) and bring back the OPS.
AIDEF wants the government to reduce the commuted pension restoration period to 11 years. Central government employees can currently withdraw up to 40 percent of their pension in advance at retirement. They receive a lump sum amount, but their monthly pension gets cut by half for the next 15 years.
AIDEF wants the commutation recovery period reduced to 11 years. The union cited a Himachal Pradesh High Court decision that highlighted changes in commuted pension parameters over the years. AIDEF states that factors like interest rates, life expectancy, inflation, and post-retirement expenses have changed significantly since the last rule update.
AIDEF bases its 11-year commutation demand on these changing economic factors. The union also wants the 8th Pay Commission to amend its Terms of Reference (ToR). They have requested the commission to include the pension issues of employees who retired before January 1, 2026.
AIDEF states that the 8th Pay Commission must include past pensioners in its Terms of Reference. The union wants the commission to review pension revisions, family pension updates, and retirement benefits. They also demand strict parity between past and future pensioners.
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