8th pay commission update: Employees may enjoy 186% increase in salaries, DA

The workers' union, in its letter to the Prime Minister, has stated that central government employees have been waiting for a wage revision for almost nine years. The government last revised wages in January 2016.

As 2024 draws to a close, discussions around the 8th Pay Commission are gaining momentum. Over a crore central government employees and pensioners eagerly await the announcement.

The Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers has appealed to PM Modi for the formation of the 8th Central Pay Commission.

This request comes amid delays in forming a new pay commission. The union highlighted that employees have awaited wage revision for nearly nine years, since January 2016.

The Confederation noted a significant increase in essential and non-essential commodity prices post-pandemic, impacting employees and pensioners due to high inflation and interest rates.

With average inflation between 4% and 7%, approximately 5.5%, the real value of money has decreased significantly over the past nine years, especially post-COVID.

The employee organization has requested the Prime Minister to revise the central government employees' pay structure every five years.

8th Pay Commission: The Central Finance Ministry recently stated that there are currently no plans to establish a new pay commission.

Shiv Gopal Mishra, Secretary of the Staff Side of the National Council of Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM), previously stated that the upcoming 8th Pay Commission would recommend a fitment factor of "at least 2.86".

If the 8th Pay Commission is implemented and the government accepts this fitment factor, the minimum basic salary of central government employees would increase from Rs 18,000 to Rs 51,480.

This would represent a significant 186% salary increase. Similarly, the minimum pension for central government pensioners would rise from Rs 9,000 to Rs 25,740 with the same fitment factor.

However, some media reports suggest the government might permanently abandon the 8th Pay Commission and introduce a new method for increasing salaries and pensions.

Beyond speculation, close attention must be paid to the future, as the pay commission will determine the future salaries of central government employees.