8th Pay Commission Reaches Bhubaneswar: Employee Unions Demand Rs 69,000 Minimum Salary

The 8th Pay Commission's Bhubaneswar consultations come amid fresh demands from employee unions for higher salaries, pension reforms and improved service benefits.

The 8th Pay Commission is expected to submit recommendations that will impact nearly 50 lakh central government employees and around 65 lakh pensioners.

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• Unions also seek higher HRA, welfare, and pension restoration.

The Eighth Central Pay Commission (8th CPC) will hold stakeholder consultations in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on July 6 and 7 as it continues its nationwide exercise to gather feedback on pay, pension and service-related issues affecting central government employees and pensioners.

According to an official notice issued by the Ministry of Finance, central government organisations, institutions, associations and employee unions wishing to interact with the Commission during its Bhubaneswar visit have been asked to apply for appointments through the Commission’s online portal.

Applicants have also been instructed to submit their unique memorandum ID, generated after filing representations on the Commission’s portal, along with their appointment requests.

Consultations Continue Across India

The Bhubaneswar visit forms part of the Commission’s ongoing consultations with stakeholders before it finalises its recommendations on salaries, allowances, pensions and other service conditions.

The 8th Pay Commission is expected to submit recommendations that will impact nearly 50 lakh central government employees and around 65 lakh pensioners.

Employee Unions Seek Rs 69,000 Minimum Basic Pay

The consultations come as employee unions intensify their demands for a substantial revision in salaries and retirement benefits.

According to CNBC TV18, a delegation from the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers recently met the 8th Pay Commission and submitted a detailed memorandum seeking a minimum monthly basic salary of Rs 69,000 for central government employees.

The employee body has also proposed a fitment factor of 3.83, significantly higher than the multiplier adopted under the previous pay commission.

Why the Fitment Factor Matters

The fitment factor is the multiplier used to revise the basic salary of central government employees whenever a new Pay Commission is implemented.

If the union's proposal of a 3.83 fitment factor is accepted, the existing minimum basic pay of Rs 18,000 would increase to nearly Rs 69,000.

However, the government has not announced any decision on the proposed fitment factor or salary revision.

Other Key Demands Before the Commission

Besides higher basic pay, the memorandum submitted by the employee union includes several other demands aimed at improving service conditions and social security.

These include:

Rationalisation of pay levels to remove existing anomalies.
Five financial upgradations during an employee's service.
Higher House Rent Allowance (HRA) rates of 40 per cent, 35 per cent and 30 per cent based on city classification.
Restoration of welfare advances, including House Building Advance and computer loans.
Expansion of healthcare coverage under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).
Social security measures and regularisation policies for contractual and casual workers.
Restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

Recommendations Awaited

The Commission is currently collecting representations from employee organisations, pensioners' associations and other stakeholders across the country before preparing its recommendations.

The final proposals will be submitted to the government after the consultation process is completed. Any revision in salaries, pensions or allowances will depend on the government's acceptance of the Commission's recommendations.