8th Pay Commission: The pay scale for these employees will be adjusted, know how they will benefit from the changes

Another major update for govt employees. The government sanctioned the establishment of the 8th Pay Commission, set to take effect in January 2026, following the conclusion of the current 7th Pay Commission on December 31, 2025. However, there has been no official announcement regarding which recommendations will be adopted in the 8th Pay Commission or the applicable fitment factor.

Employee organizations are advocating for a fitment factor of 2.86. Should this be approved, it would result in an increase in both employee salaries and pensions. Additionally, reports indicate that the Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) has proposed modifications to the pay scale for central employees. It is important to consider who would benefit from these changes.

To support employee demands and enhance their financial well-being, the NC-JCM Staff Side has submitted several proposals to the government. The primary recommendations include the implementation of a 2.86 fitment factor and the merging of pay scales. NC-JCM Staff Side Secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra has suggested consolidating the pay scales for central employees, which currently number 18, into a range from 1 to 6.

At the same time, regarding the previous pay commission’s recommendations, employees in Level 1 now earn Rs 18,000 a month, while those in Level 18 see their salary rise to Rs 2,50,000 a month.

How can pay scales be combined?
One of the key suggestions from the staff is to combine the pay scales. This means the government could merge Level 1 with Level 2, Level 3 with Level 4, and Level 5 with Level 6.

Who stands to gain?
If the government goes ahead and merges levels 1 through 6, it would primarily benefit the lower-level employees. Here’s how: currently, Level 1 employees earn a basic salary of Rs 18,000, while those in Level 2 make Rs 19,900. If these levels are combined and a fitment factor of 2.86 is applied, their salary would jump to Rs 51,480, giving a nice boost to Level 1 employees.

Similarly, merging Level 3 with Level 4 would raise the salary to Rs 72,930, and combining Level 5 with Level 6 would push the basic salary up to Rs 1,01,244 with the same fitment factor.