8th Pay Commission: Expectation high for the clarity at November NC JCM meeting

Employee unions representing central government staff expect clarity on the formation of 8th Pay Commission in a meeting with officials next month, according to persons privy to the development.

Although an official announcement is awaited, union leaders familiar with the matter said the National Council of the Joint Consultative Machinery—an official platform to resolve disputes between the government and employees—will hold a meeting in November.

The National Council of JCM is chaired by the Union Cabinet Secretary, and its members include some representatives of recognised employee unions and service associations.

"The meeting will take place next month, and clarity on 8th Pay Commission's formation is certainly expected. We will definitely raise this matter," said All India Railwaymen's Federation chief Shiv Gopal Mishra, who is also the secretary (staff side) of NC-JCM.

"We have already submitted two memorandums before the government, requesting them to constitute the pay commission at the earliest," he told.

The first memorandum was submitted to Rajiv Gauba, who was the Union Cabinet Secretary at the time of the presentation of the Union Budget in July. According to Mishra, the second memorandum was submitted to his successor TV Somanathan, who took charge as the Cabinet Secretary on Aug. 30.

A senior official of the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, while speaking to a TV channel on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that 8th Pay Commission would be discussed in the NC-JCM meeting next month.

The delay in 8th Pay Commission's formation has raised speculations on whether the government is considering another mechanism to revise the salary of its employees. On being asked about this, the official said, "Things will get mostly cleared in the JCM meeting next month."

Pay commissions are generally formed once in 10 years to revise the salary of government employees. The 7th Pay Commission was formed by the then Manmohan Singh-led government in February 2014, and its recommendations were implemented from January 2016.

As compared to 2014, the date of formation of 8th Pay Commission has been delayed.

In an interview aired on July 25, TV Somanathan, who was then the finance secretary, told that what happened in 2014 was "unusual" as the announcement was made as part of a pre-election budget. That was not the normal date for the announcement of the pay commission, he said.

Notably, the announcement related to 8th Pay Commission is awaited by around one crore central government employees and pensioners.

In the Budget Session of Parliament in July, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said there was no proposal currently under the government's consideration to constitute the pay panel.

"Two representations have been received for the constitution of the 8th Central Pay Commission in June 2024. No such proposal is under consideration of the government at present," the minister had stated.

According to the employee unions, the government's statement in the Parliament does not indicate that the pay commission would not be formed. "There is still much left time for the implementation of (8th Pay Commission)," the senior official of the Confederation of Central Government Employees said.

"The date of implementation of 8th Pay Commission's recommendations will be more important than the date of its formation," Mishra said.

"The employees should get their wage revision not later than 10 years after the last pay commission was implemented. We believe that the wage hike will happen with effect from Jan. 1, 2026. We don't doubt the government's intention," the Railwaymen's Federation chief added.

Source: NDTV