The 8th Pay Commission has commenced, and central employees and pensioners are hoping for the implementation of their recommendations soon. The 7th CPC rejected similar demands because the Commission was formed before the 6th CPC recommendations had been implemented 10 years ago. Employees are demanding a DA merger, salary increases, and revisions every five years.

8th Pay Commission: Employees may face a setback on this issue, even the 7th Pay Commission did not accept their demands. The 8th Pay Commission is generating considerable activity. Since the government issued its Terms of Reference (TOR), employees and pensioners have been vocal about their demands. Their key demands include the speedy implementation of the new recommendations to provide them with financial relief. Some have even demanded an immediate 20% interim relief from the government. However, this may be disappointing, as a similar demand was made by the 7th Pay Commission and rejected. The 8th Pay Commission report may take 12-18 months to be prepared.

Why did the 7th CPC reject the demand for early implementation?

The staff side of the 7th Pay Commission had demanded that the recommendations be implemented from January 1, 2014. They argued that the non-merger of DA with basic pay had reduced the value of salaries. However, the 7th CPC did not recognize this, stating that the Commission was formed before the 6th CPC recommendations had been in effect for 10 years.

The Commission explained its reasons.

The 7th CPC wrote in its report that the Commission was formed in 2014, while the 6th CPC recommendations were in effect from January 1, 2006. The Commission stated that the new recommendations would be ready before the 10-year period ends. Therefore, they rejected the proposal for immediate implementation and recommended that the new pay structure be implemented from January 1, 2016.

Employee Demands

Employees wanted the DA to be merged with basic pay quickly and the pay structure to be revised quickly. This demand arose due to declining wages and inflation. Some also demanded a pay revision every five years.

Expectations for the 8th CPC

The 8th Pay Commission has now been implemented, and employees are hoping for its recommendations to be implemented quickly. Some are demanding an immediate 20 percent increase as interim relief. However, it remains to be seen when and how the government will meet this demand.

What it means for the average employee

Employees and pensioners want to know how the new recommendations will change their pay and pension. The experience with the 7th CPC makes it clear that immediate relief is not always possible. Employees will only see real benefits when the 8th CPC recommendations are implemented.