The stir between central employees and pensioners has intensified regarding the 8th Pay Commission. Ever since the government announced the introduction of the 8th Pay Commission. Since then, employee organizations have been continuously sending their demands to the government from time to time. For this purpose, large employee organizations will attend the meeting of the National Council Joint Consultative Machinery i.e. National Council (Staff Side) JCM in Delhi on 25 February 2026. In this meeting, common demands for the 8th Pay Commission will be finalized.
The most discussed issue is about 3.25 fitment factor and 7 percent annual increment. Employees say that if this proposal is accepted then there may be a big jump in the basic salary. They claim that this will make the salary structure more practical and in line with inflation.
During the meeting, the drafting committee will take suggestions from all the organizations and will prepare a joint memorandum by combining them. It is the responsibility of this committee to prepare all the points in a systematic manner and put them before the Commission. This memorandum will be submitted to Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, Chairperson of the 8th Pay Commission. According to employee leaders, there will be intensive discussions for a week in this process, so that no important issue is left out.
Demand for 7 percent increment
Representatives associated with the Central Employees Federation say that the current 3 percent annual increase is no longer sufficient. They want either a hike twice a year or a direct annual increment of 7 percent. Apart from this, they are also proposing to increase the family unit from 3 to 5. His argument is that when the size of the family is considered larger, the calculation of minimum wage will also increase accordingly. Some leaders estimate that with this it may be possible to increase the basic salary by about 60 to 66 percent.
Emphasis is also being laid on benefits related to retirement. At present the limit for leave encashment is 300 days, which has been demanded to be increased to 400 days. Employees say that after long service they should get the benefit of more holidays. In areas where CGHS facility is not available, it has been suggested to increase the fixed medical allowance from Rs 1,000 to Rs 20,000 per month. He says that the current amount is very less for the treatment of serious diseases.
Demand for change in promotion rules
There is dissatisfaction among the employees regarding the promotion policy also. In many departments, promotion is not available for a long time, while in some, promotion is done quickly. Employee organizations demand that uniform and transparent promotion policy should be implemented in all departments. There is also a demand to give the option of taking Leave Travel Concession i.e. LTC in cash, so that the employees who face difficulty in pre-booking the journey are not deprived of this facility.
Organizations of defense employees have also prepared their recommendations. He says that while determining the minimum wage, parents should also be included in the family unit. Also, separate additional provision should be added to the salary for technical needs like internet. They are demanding five assured promotions after 30 years of service on a time bound basis. The debate regarding pension is also intense. Some organizations are demanding the restoration of the old pension scheme by abolishing the National Pension System and the Unified Pension Scheme. He believes that the old pension scheme provides more security to the employees.
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