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Eighth Pay Commission

8th Pay Commission: The murmur related to the 8th Pay Commission for central employees and pensioners now seems to be coming to the ground. The questions that were in the minds of the employees regarding the formation of the Pay Commission and its functioning for a long time now seem to be put to rest. In the third month of the formation of the commission, the government has increased the pace of its preparations. The processes which till now were considered buried in the files, have now taken concrete form. The biggest relief is that the Commission has got an official location in the capital to start its work.

According to the latest update, the 8th Pay Commission has started its work. For the work of the Commission, an office has been allotted in 'Chandralok Building' located at Janpath, New Delhi. At present, the recruitment process of employees through deputation is going on and notifications have also been issued for this.

According to the government, the formation of the commission was notified through a resolution dated 3 November 2025. As per the rules, the Commission has been given 18 months from the date of notification to give its recommendations. This simply means that the Commission will be able to submit its report to the government only by mid-2027. Now almost three months have passed since the formation of the commission and 15 months are left.

Ultimatum for strike after disappointment in budget

Even though the commission has been formed, the hands of the central employees are currently empty. The employee organizations were hopeful that the government might make some relief or interim announcements under the 8th Pay Commission in the Union Budget 2026, but the complete silence on this issue in the budget has angered the unions. The result of this resentment is that the 'Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers' (CCGEW) has made up its mind for an all-out fight.

The organization has announced a one-day nationwide strike on 12 February 2026. The main demand of the employee organizations is that the government should take immediate action instead of postponing the matter in the name of Pay Commission. Their demands include providing interim relief, merging Dearness Allowance (DA) with basic pay and amendment in the Terms of Reference (ToR).

All eyes are on the meeting of 25th February

The date of 25th February is going to prove to be very important for the central employees. An important meeting of the National Council of JCM (Staff Side) is proposed on this day. This meeting is also special because the memorandum to be submitted for the 8th Pay Commission will be discussed in detail.

This will be the document in which the employees will present their stand regarding salary increase, change in allowances and other facilities like old pension. This will be the first big opportunity for employee organizations to present their views strongly. As time is passing, the Commission is getting less time to give its recommendations, so this meeting will decide the future direction.

However, the picture is quite clear that employees and pensioners will have to remain patient. The recommendations will reach the government by the beginning or middle of 2027, after which a decision will be taken on them. That is, one may have to wait for at least one and a half years to see the change in the pay slip.