8th Pay Commission : Big news for central government employees and pensioners. Talks about the 8th Pay Commission are heating up, and this time, employee groups seem to be pushing harder than ever. There’s clear frustration among workers about inflation, rising living costs, and delays in salary updates. Unions are saying that it’s time for not just a small bump, but the biggest salary and pension hike ever to really boost real income.
Whats the new?
The main request from employee unions is to raise the fitment factor from 3.0 to 3.25, as suggested by the Federation of National Postal Organizations (FNPO). If the government agrees to this 3.25 fitment factor, the current minimum basic salary of Rs 18,000 could jump to around Rs 58,500. Plus, employees are looking for a 5% annual increment, which they feel is currently too low. Unions argue that the existing pay structure has been eroded by inflation.
This time around, employee groups are asking for a tiered, level-based fitment structure instead of a flat fitment factor. The proposal suggests a fitment factor of 3.0 for levels 1 to 5, 3.05 to 3.10 for levels 6 to 12, 3.15 for levels 14-15, and 3.25 for the top levels, 17-18. Workers believe this will help align the salaries of junior and senior staff and fix long-standing pay gaps.
In contrast to the 7th Pay Commission, where a fitment factor of 2.57 was applied, setting the minimum wage at ₹18,000, that increase was seen as decent back then. However, now employee organizations claim that inflation has completely negated that raise. Thus, the 8th Pay Commission needs to make its decisions with today’s economic realities and future needs in mind.
Meanwhile, to increase pressure on the government, employee unions have announced a one-day nationwide strike on February 12, 2026. The Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers has submitted a formal notice to the Cabinet Secretary in this regard. The unions say they will intensify their agitation if their demands are not seriously considered. This strike is aimed at issues related to wages, pensions, service conditions, and labor reforms.
Demand to merge 50% DA into basic pay
The list of employees’ demands is lengthy. These include merging 50% DA into basic pay, 20% interim relief from January 1, 2026, abolishing NPS/UPS and restoring OPS, payment of 18 months of DA frozen during the COVID period, prompt restoration of commuted pension, recruitment to vacant positions, and ending the contract system. Furthermore, issues such as increasing the minimum pension to ₹9,000, removing GST on essential goods , and opposing privatization have also been raised. All eyes are now on how seriously the government takes these demands or whether the matter remains entangled in lengthy negotiations.