8th Pay Commission: Big update on salary hike, meetings have started with unions

Here's some big news for 45 lakh central government employees and 60 lakh pensioners. Work on the 8th Pay Commission's report is moving at a fast pace.

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8th Pay Commission

This is important news for 45 lakh central government staff and 60 lakh pensioners. The 8th Pay Commission has started its groundwork. It is touring states and meeting employee unions to discuss their demands and proposals in detail. According to media reports, the commission just finished its first face-to-face meeting with employee groups in Uttarakhand on Friday.

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After this, the commission will hold a larger meeting in Delhi between April 28 and 30. In May, the commission's team will meet with organisations in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra to gather more opinions.

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The draft committee of the employee unions' joint forum (NC-JCM) has submitted a key demand to the central government about the fitment factor. They are demanding that the fitment factor be increased to 3.833. If the government accepts this, employees could see a significant jump in their basic pay. Another change they want is for allowances to be calculated for a 5-member family, instead of the current 3-member family basis.

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The unions are firm on their demand for allowances based on a 5-member family. They have also proposed that the Dearness Allowance calculation should be based on a 12-month average. On top of that, there is also a proposal to merge some of the existing pay scales.

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The Pay Commission is reviewing not just basic salary but also Transport Allowance (TA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), and other service conditions. Employees have told the commission that these allowances also need to be improved. A proposal has also been made to increase the minimum basic salary from ₹18,000 to ₹69,000. The final recommendations on salary, allowances, and the fitment factor will be submitted only after this discussion process is complete.

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The government formed this commission in January 2025 and has given it 18 months to submit its report. The deadline for giving feedback is currently April 30, after which the report will be handed over to the government.