Salary Boost Ahead? 8th Pay Commission Arrears Talk Gains Momentum for Govt Staff

New Delhi: Lakhs of central government employees and pensioners have their eyes set on the 8th Pay Commission, but its process seems to be taking more time than usual. Although the work of the Commission is progressing, many important steps are still to be completed. For this reason, the wait for final recommendations regarding possible amendments in salary and pension may be long.

What is the reason for the delay?

According to experts, the 8th Pay Commission has to take suggestions from employee organizations, unions, pensioners and various government institutions across the country. The Commission is currently engaged in meetings and a consultation process in different states. Recently, the Commission has also extended the deadline for visiting many cities and submitting memorandum, which clearly shows that emphasis is being laid on taking comprehensive opinions from the stakeholders.

What demands have the employee organizations put forth?

Various employee organizations have placed before the Commission the demand for increasing the minimum basic salary, increasing the fitment factor and pension related reforms. Some organizations have suggested raising the minimum basic pay to Rs 55,000, while other groups are demanding a minimum salary of Rs 69,000. Proposals have also been made to keep the fitment factor from 3.0 to 3.83.

At what stage is the commission currently?

The government has already clarified in Parliament that the commission is reviewing the pay, allowances and pension structure. For this, continuous talks are being held with various stakeholders. The Commission is collecting suggestions by organizing meetings across the country and will prepare its report based on these inputs.

How long may employees have to wait?

No official date has been announced yet as to when the final recommendations of the commission will come. However, considering the speed of the process, it is believed that it may take time for the report to be prepared and the government to take a decision on it. After the formation of the Commission, a phase of extensive consultation and study is going on, so the employees will have to be patient for the time being.

Is the hope of a salary hike still there?

There are continuous demands from employee organizations for salary hikes, better fitment factor and pension reforms. Meanwhile, the central government has also recently approved a 2 percent increase in Dearness Allowance (DA). In such a situation, employees hope that the recommendations of the 8th Pay Commission can also bring a big change in their salary structure.