8th Pay Commission: Clarity awaited as NC JCM meeting postponed

A key meeting of the National Council of the Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM), where employee unions planned to push for the formation of the 8th Pay Commission, has likely been postponed to December.

The meeting, originally planned for November, was postponed due to a leadership change in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Vivek Joshi, the former DoPT Secretary, was transferred to his home state Haryana in late October and is now the state’s Chief Secretary. Tuhin Kanta Pandey, the Union Finance Secretary, has been given additional charge of the DoPT.

Shiv Gopal Mishra, Secretary (Staff Side) of the NC-JCM, confirmed that the change in DoPT leadership caused the delay. The meeting is now expected to happen in early December, and unions are hopeful that it will provide clarity on the government’s plans regarding the 8th Pay Commission.

Mishra said the unions will strongly raise the demand for the pay commission. "We have already submitted two memorandums to the government—one during the Union Budget in July and another in August. The time is right to form the 8th Pay Commission, as India’s economy is growing well," he said.

He also added that the unions are pushing for a fitment factor of at least 2.86, which is used to revise salaries. The 7th Pay Commission, formed in 2014, implemented its recommendations from January 2016. Unions believe that the next revision should follow the same 10-year cycle and take effect from January 2026.

While the government has not officially announced the formation of the 8th Pay Commission, employee unions remain optimistic. A statement by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary in July said there was no proposal for the commission at that time. However, Mishra argued that this does not mean the commission will not be formed. "Salary revisions happen every 10 years. I am confident the next one will take effect from January 1, 2026," he said.

Pay commissions are responsible for recommending salary and pension revisions for central government employees and retirees. Their decisions impact over one crore people, including employees and pensioners. The 7th Pay Commission, for example, cost the government ₹1.02 lakh crore in its first year.

As unions prepare for the rescheduled meeting, they remain determined to fight for fair salary revisions and better benefits for central government employees.