India 8th Pay Commission: Employees demand higher fitment factor

Discussions regarding the 8th Pay Commission are intensifying among central government employees and pensioners in India, focusing primarily on the potential revision of the fitment factor.

Employee unions are advocating for a significant increase in the fitment factor, proposing a range between 3.61 and 4.00. If implemented, this could raise the current minimum basic pay from ₹18,000 to as high as ₹72,000. In contrast, the 7th Pay Commission utilized a fitment factor of 2.57, which raised the minimum basic pay from ₹7,000 to ₹18,000.

While a fitment factor of 2.0 would double the current minimum basic pay to ₹36,000, experts note that total in-hand salary depends on other components such as Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), and Transport Allowance. The Ministry of Labour has reportedly offered assurances that it will consider the demands, though the government must balance these requests against budgetary and fiscal constraints.