The central government just gave the green light for the 8th Pay Commission to kick off in January, which means there’s a good chance that government employees will see a salary bump. Since the announcement, chatter has been buzzing about how much central employees’ pay might go up. There’s a lot of excitement among countless government workers and pensioners.
According to various media sources, the National Council-Joint Consultative Mechanism (JCM-NC) is pushing for the fitment factor to be raised to at least 2.57 or even higher. This was the same fitment factor used in the 7th Pay Commission. JCM-NC Secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra emphasized that the fitment factor should be 2.57 or more, which could lead to a significant salary increase for employees.
Potential Salary Hike of Up to 157%!
The fitment factor is a method used to set government employees’ salaries. If the 8th Pay Commission adopts a fitment factor of 2.57, employees could see their salaries rise by around 157%. For instance, if an employee’s current basic salary is Rs 18,000 a month, it could jump to Rs 46,260 a month. Additionally, the minimum pension would also rise from Rs 9,000 to Rs 23,130 a month, providing substantial financial relief for employees.
What Was the Fitment Factor in the 7th Pay Commission?
Just to give you some context, the 7th Pay Commission was rolled out on January 1, 2016, with a fitment factor of 2.57, which boosted the basic salary of central employees from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000. If the 8th Pay Commission were to implement a fitment factor of 2.86, the basic salary could soar from Rs 18,000 to Rs 46,260.
However, former Finance Secretary Subhash Garg pointed out that this might be a tough ask and suggested that a fitment factor of 1.92 could be a more realistic option, striking a balance between the needs of employees and the government’s budget.