8th Pay Commission Update: Govt Staff Push for Salary Revision Every 5 Years Instead of 10

New updates about the 8th Pay Commission are coming in thick and fast. Employee unions are also holding discussions about their list of demands.

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8th Pay Commission Update:

Government employee unions have proposed a big change to the pay revision system. Instead of waiting 10 years for a new pay commission, they are demanding salary hikes every five years. They argue that the current system becomes outdated quickly due to inflation and the rising cost of living.

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Employees raised this demand for salary hikes and revisions during the 8th Pay Commission's consultative meeting in Delhi, held between April 28 and 30. In these meetings, the commission discussed various issues like the fitment factor, salary hikes, pension reforms, allowances, and the Old Pension Scheme with representatives from the National Council-Joint Consultative Mechanism (NC-JCM) and other employee unions.

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Employee unions are proposing to reduce the gap between two pay commissions from 10 years to 5. However, employee representatives have clarified that while the Pay Commission cannot directly change this timeline, it can definitely recommend this change to the government.

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NC-JCM Secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra explained the logic behind this demand. He said that the current 10-year timeline does not match today's economic realities. He pointed out that many public sector undertakings, including the banking sector, already revise salaries every 5 years. Moreover, private sector employees often see faster salary revisions, sometimes every 3 years.

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On the other hand, government employees have to wait 10 years for a salary hike. According to Mishra, during this 10-year period, the overall price index increases significantly. Due to inflation, the value of a salary fixed a decade ago actually decreases. He argues that a shorter revision cycle will help maintain the real value of salaries.

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Rahul Ahluwalia, founder of the Foundation for Economic Development (FED) and a former NITI Aayog member, says salaries and pensions are already a big chunk of government spending. For states, it's over 40% of their revenue on average. According to Ahluwalia, more frequent pay commissions could quickly increase the pressure on the government's finances. If a large part of the budget is spent on salaries, the government may have to cut spending in other areas or raise taxes. Ahluwalia also noted that the government needs money for infrastructure, healthcare, welfare schemes, and education.

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According to experts, a middle path could be found instead of accepting the unions' demand. Instead of a full-scale pay review every five years, they suggest that certain components like employee allowances, merit-based elements, or inflation-linked adjustments should be reviewed more frequently. These components could be changed periodically based on inflation and economic conditions.