8th Pay Commission Meeting: Govt Employees Seek Rs 69,000 Minimum Pay, 6% Annual Hike, Pension Changes & More?

Government employee unions had discussions with the 8th Pay Commission in Delhi, putting forward key demands related to salary hikes, pensions, and employee welfare. The first round of talks, held on April 28, has been described as constructive, with staff representatives asking for more meetings before final recommendations are finalised.

8th Pay Commission Meeting: What Employees Are Demanding

In the meeting, employee groups submitted a detailed list of demands covering salaries, allowances, pensions, promotions, and leave policies. They stressed that the current pay structure does not match rising living costs and needs urgent revision.

8th Pay Commision Minimum Salary and Fitment Factor Demand

One of the biggest demands is a significant increase in minimum salary. Employee representatives argued that the current minimum pay of Rs 18,000 is too low and should be raised to Rs 69,000 based on the cost of living for a family.

To support this, they have proposed a fitment factor of 3.833, which would be used to revise salaries across all levels.

Central Govt Employees' Salary Hike, Increments and Promotions

Employees have also asked for better annual increments. They suggested a 6% yearly increase in basic pay, saying it would better reflect inflation and rising expenses.

In addition, they want a clearer promotion structure, proposing at least five promotions over a 30-year career to reduce stagnation. Simplifying pay levels by merging certain grades has also been suggested.

Allowances and Employee Benefits

Another major demand is a sharp increase in allowances. Employee unions have asked for all allowances to be increased up to three times and linked with Dearness Allowance (DA) so they rise automatically with inflation.

They also proposed benefits such as interest-free loans, restoration of removed allowances, and higher compensation for accidental deaths.

On pensions, employee groups strongly opposed changes to the current system. They want the old pension scheme-style benefits to continue and have raised concerns about the National Pension System (NPS) and Unified Pension Scheme (UPS).

They are asking the Commission to review these systems carefully and ensure long-term financial security for retirees.

Leave Policy Changes

Employee unions also pushed for more flexible leave rules. Key suggestions include:

No cap on earned leave accumulation
Encashment of up to 600 days of leave at retirement
Introduction of paternity leave, menstrual leave, and caregiving leave

These changes aim to improve work-life balance for government employees.

Employee representatives have requested more meetings and department-wise consultations to ensure all concerns are properly addressed before final recommendations are made.