Following the Central Government’s notification, a crucial meeting of the NC-JCM Staff Side is scheduled for November 15th to determine the future course of action for millions of central government employees and 6.9 million pensioners. Learn why this strategic meeting is exceptionally important, what significant changes could occur in employees’ salaries and allowances, and why there’s significant tension surrounding pension reforms—this information will directly impact your financial future!
8th Pay Commission Notification
On November 3rd, the Central Government issued an official notification establishing the 8th Pay Commission (8th CPC). The first major and strategic step following this announcement is being taken on November 15th. The NC-JCM (National Council – Joint Consultative Machinery) Staff Side, representing millions of central government employees, has called a crucial meeting of its Standing Committee in Delhi.
Although the agenda is unclear in the official letter issued by AIRF (All India Railwaymen’s Federation) General Secretary Shiva Gopal Mishra, this meeting is crucial to consider key strategies concerning employees and approximately 6.9 million pensioners. It will lay the foundation for how strongly the demands regarding pay scales, pensions, allowances, and service conditions will be presented to the government.
The NC-JCM is a three-tier system where representatives of employee organizations (staff side) and representatives of various ministries (official side) interact together, and it is a recognized forum for advocating the interests of employees and pensioners.
These issues may be raised in the November 15th meeting
Since this is the first strategic meeting of the staff side after the notification of the formation of the 8th Pay Commission, it is expected that strategies will be formulated on pending and important issues so that they can be included in the final ToR (Terms of Reference).
The employees’ primary demand is a revision of pay scales, and a major and effective revision of pay scales is expected. Furthermore, there is likely to be a robust discussion on including pension reforms and pension revision for 6.9 million pensioners as part of the ToR. The demand for merging dearness allowance (DA) with basic pay when it crosses a certain threshold, i.e., DA merger, will also be a key issue.
A proposal to provide interim relief to employees until the Commission’s report is released may also be considered. Additionally, a review of health benefits and other medical benefits may also be part of the agenda. In February, the staff side submitted a detailed list of these issues to the government, but they were not included in the final ToR. Therefore, the staff side’s overall focus this time is likely to be on these key points that remained unaddressed.
Serious Questions Raised on the ToR
The All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF) recently wrote to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, complaining of several serious discrepancies in the ToR. AIDEF strongly objected, stating that the ToR does not clearly mention the “Date of Implementation” of the 8th Pay Commission. This is a highly sensitive issue, as the 7th Pay Commission clearly stated the date as January 1, 2016.
The most significant allegation is that the ToR does not mention pension revision for 6.9 million pensioners and family pensioners. The Federation termed this “unfortunate and unfair.” AIDEF also warned that the ToR indicates that the government may change the 10-year Pay Commission system, which has exacerbated the concerns of employees and pensioners.
Amidst all this, the NC-JCM staff-side meeting on November 15th is of extraordinary importance. The staff side must develop a robust strategy on how to incorporate the pension revision, the implementation date, and how to advance the pay revision, so that their case remains undefeated in the official negotiations with the government.