8th Pay Commission: Key Demands Highlighted by National Council
The National Council (Joint Consultative Machinery) presented key demands to the 8th Central Pay Commission, including a minimum salary of Rs 69,000 and significant pension reforms, aimed at improving working conditions and benefits for central government employees.
Highlights
- •A minimum salary of Rs 69,000 proposed to ensure fair compensation
- •Pension scheme reintroduction with a coverage of 67% of the last drawn salary
- •Increase in HRA slab and parental care leave to enhance employee welfare
- •Consolidation of 18 levels into seven categories for simpler hierarchy
In a significant development related to the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC), the National Council (Joint Consultative Machinery) or NC-JCM has forwarded a draft memorandum with multiple key demands. This move comes as major associations and unions representing central government employees and pensioners aim for substantial improvements.
The demands, formally presented on April 13, 2026, specify a minimum salary of Rs 69,000 along with an annual increment of 6%. Additionally, the committee has proposed consolidating the employee levels from the 7th Pay Commission into seven categories to simplify the hierarchy. These reforms are expected to have a significant impact on the lives of government employees.
Key Demands Revisited
The document details several key demands, including:
- A fitment factor of 3.83 and an increase in minimum House Rent Allowance (HRA) slab to 30%.
- A reintroduction of the old Pension Scheme (OPS), offering a pension of 67% of the last salary drawn, with a family pension of 50%. Group C employees would receive group insurance worth Rs 1 crore while Group B employees get Rupees 1.5 crore coverage.
- Lifetime parental care leave for 60 days and an increase in maternity leave to 240 days.
- A minimum of five promotions for each employee with at least 30 years of service, every year.
The committee has also urged the CPC to ensure that these demands are effective from January 1, 2026. The final memorandum stresses the urgent need for these changes across all central government services.
