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Central pensioner unions want big 8th Pay Commission rule revisions. They dislike that the guidelines don't specify how senior pensions will be altered and that the Old Pension Scheme is called a 'financial burden'

Pensioner groups are strongly urging the Central Government. They want clear changes to the 8th Pay Commission's Terms of Reference (ToR) for employees who retired before January 1.Top organisations like Bharat Pensioners Samaj (BPS), All India Defence Employees' Federation (AIDEF), NCCPA, and FCPA have written to PM Narendra Modi. They are asking him to change the official guidelines (ToR) and remove some controversial points.Unions say the current rules for the 8th Pay Commission are not clear about reviewing pensions for senior citizens. They want this fixed immediately.They argue that the ToR doesn't clearly mention anything about revising pensions for seniors, ensuring equal pension for old and new retirees, or updating family pension and other retirement benefits.So, they have proposed a new rule. This rule would cover pension revision for everyone retiring before or after January 1, 2026, under the existing pension schemes.The AIDEF is also objecting to a specific phrase in the ToR: the 'unfunded cost of non-contributory pension schemes'. They want this term removed.They argue that a government pension is not just an 'unfunded liability'. They are demanding its immediate removal, stating that pension after a lifetime of service is a right, not a financial burden on the government.Simply put, this means the government sees the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) as a 'financial burden' because it pays the full amount from its own funds, without any employee contribution. But unions say pension is a legal right, not an 'extra burden'.The unions are also demanding an end to the pension gap between old and new retirees. They have also proposed to the commission that the minimum basic pension should be increased from ₹9,000 to ₹45,000 per month.