Crores of central employees and pensioners are eagerly waiting for the 8th Pay Commission. But, amid reports of its implementation from 2027, employee organizations are demanding that the government, even if it takes time to implement, it should be calculated from January 1, 2026.
Shiv Gopal Mishra, Staff Side Secretary of the National Council-Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM), has said that even if the recommendations of the 8th Pay Commission are implemented late, the effect of increased salary and pension should be considered from January 1, 2026, itself.
Why can there be a delay, and what is the demand of the employees
The effect of every pay commission lasts for a maximum of 10 years. Since the 7th Pay Commission came into effect from January 1, 2016, the next pay commission should be implemented from January 1, 2026. The recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission were implemented from July 2016, but the employees were given 6 months’ arrears from January to June. Similarly, employees should also get arrears in the 8th Pay Commission.
However, the 8th Pay Commission has not been formally constituted yet. The Union Cabinet approved it in January 2025, but the notification regarding the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Commission has not been issued yet. Mishra says that the government should give the green signal to the ToR soon, so that the commission can be formed and negotiations with the employees can begin.
How much will the salary increase
It takes about 18 months for any pay commission to prepare the report. After this, it takes another 3 to 9 months for the government to review and approve the recommendations. That is, it is certain that it will take time for the commission’s report to come and a final decision to be taken on it. But, the employees demand that no matter how much delay there is, the effective date should remain January 1, 2026.
The biggest question is how much the salary of the employees increases. It is believed that the fitment factor in the 8th Pay Commission can be between 1.8 and 2.46. This factor is multiplied by the basic salary of the employee, and on this basis, the new salary is decided.
If the fitment factor goes up to 2.46, then the employees can get an increase of 14% to 34% as compared to their current salary. However, it is worth noting that the Dearness Allowance (DA) starts from zero when every new pay commission is implemented.
Employee organizations say that the government should soon clarify the situation on the formation and ToR of the 8th Pay Commission. Lakhs of central employees and pensioners are eyeing this decision, as it will have a direct impact on the income and expenses of their families.