8th Pay Commission: Employees demand higher increments and pension parity

Central government employees and pensioners in India are presenting several key demands to the 8th Pay Commission to address inflation and pension disparities.

Employee representatives, including the All India New Pension Scheme Employees Federation (AINPSEF), are requesting that the annual increment rate be increased from the current 3% to at least 7%. Projections suggest that a 7% annual increment could result in an additional ₹29 lakh in earnings over a ten-year period compared to the current rate. Additionally, there are discussions regarding a potential fitment factor of 2.15, which could significantly raise basic salaries.

Regarding pensions, organizations such as the National Council Joint Consultative Machinery (NCJCM) and Bharat Pensioners Samaj (BPS) are advocating for a fitment factor of 3.833. This proposal aims to bridge the gap between employees retiring under previous commissions and those retiring in 2026. Implementing this factor could see monthly pensions rise from approximately ₹38,710 to around ₹93,900 for certain ranks. Other demands include reducing the salary and pension revision cycle from every ten years to every five years and ensuring pension parity through mechanisms like One Rank One Pension (OROP).