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8th Pay Commission: Meetings between the 8th Pay Commission and employee unions are currently underway on the 3rd and 7th floors of the Chandralok Building on Janpath in the national capital, Delhi.

8th Pay Commission Delhi Meetings: Today marks the final day of the meetings between the 8th Pay Commission and employee unions in Delhi. The first round of discussions commenced on Tuesday amidst high expectations. These meetings are being held on the 3rd and 7th floors of the Chandralok Building, located on Janpath in the national capital. However, it remains difficult at this stage to ascertain exactly which issues were raised during these closed-door deliberations.

Employee Representatives Present Their Demands

According to a report by *India Today*, Shiv Gopal Mishra—Secretary of the National Council (Staff Side), JCM, and General Secretary of the All India Railwaymen's Federation (AIRF)—stated that the first day marked the initial formal interaction between the employee representatives and the Commission.

He explained, "We endeavored to convey to them that the NC-JCM represents approximately 3.6 million government employees. This includes personnel from the Railways, Defense, Civil Services, Income Tax, Postal Services, and Audit departments." He added that the Staff Side had already submitted a comprehensive memorandum and utilized this meeting to elaborate upon its key points.

What Are the Employee Unions' Demands?

*   To increase the minimum basic salary from the current ₹18,000 to ₹69,000. Certain organizations, such as the BPMS, have proposed raising this figure to ₹72,000.

*   A demand has been raised to set the 'Fitment Factor' at 3.833 for the purpose of salary and pension revision.

*   A demand has been made to increase the annual increment rate from 3 percent to 6 percent.

*   There is a demand to scrap the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and reinstate the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

*   A proposal has been put forward to grant retired employees a pension equivalent to 67 percent of their 'last drawn salary.' There is a demand to revise the House Rent Allowance (HRA) rates to 40%, 35%, and 30%, based on the categorization of cities.

*The aim is to ensure a guarantee of at least five promotions during a service tenure of 30 years.

Meanwhile, the government has extended the deadline for submitting memoranda (proposals) to the Commission to May 31, 2026. As a result of this decision, millions of central government employees, pensioners, and employee organizations will now have additional time to formulate their demands and suggestions. Previously, the deadline for this was April 30, 2026.

Will the Demands Be Met?

The most significant question now arises: will all the demands put forth by the employee unions be fulfilled or not? Currently, the 8th Pay Commission is in the consultation stage. The government will take a final decision regarding the demands of the employee unions based on its own fiscal position and the recommendations submitted by the Commission.