8th Pay Commission: 20% interim relief among 8 changes sought by 8 lakh employees from PM Modi

Here are the top 8 changes requested by the confederation:

The confederation has asked the government to grant 20% as interim relief with immediate effect.

"It is requested to grant 20% as interim relief with immediate effect, as there is delay in constitution of the 8th CPC and its implementation, so as to set off the losses of delay in implementation and inflationary trends to some extent and also boost the morale of about 1.2 crores of Central Government employees who run the government machinery will participate in the developmental activity with more enthusiasm," the confederation said in the letter.

The confederation has requested the prime minister to include the effective date of implementation of the 8th CPC from 01.01.2026 in the Terms of Reference. "...it is automatic and justified that the 8th CPC recommendations also, should be implemented w.e.f. 01.01.2026. The same may please be included in the Terms of Reference (ToR) of 8th CPC," the letter said.

The confederation has requested to add the following in the ToR:

"To examine the principles which should govern the structure of pension and other retirement benefits, including revision of pension, Parity in Pension in the case of employees who have retired on any date i.e. those who retired before 1/1/2026 or after 1/1/2026..."

The confederation said the use of the phrase “unfunded cost of noncontributory pension schemes” in the current ToR is "inappropriate". They said it "it equates constitutionally and judicially protected pension entitlements with fiscal liabilities and departs from the humane, welfare-oriented approach followed by the Government in all earlier Pay Commissions."

The letter further said, "Pensioners perceive the existing TOR as negative and apprehend that the Govt is obliquely mandating the 8th CPC to weed out 'all unfunded expenditure'."

They said that the words "unfunded cost of non-contributor schemes" shall be deleted in the terms of reference and the following should be included:

"To examine the principles which should govern the structure of pension and other retirement benefits, including revision of pension, irrespective of the date of retirement".

The confederation said that the ToR should also specify review of other retirement benefits, pensionary benefits such as the restoration of commuted value of pension after 11 years, grant of additional quantum of pension /family pension once in 5 years from the date of retirement as recommended by the Parliamentary Standing Committee, health care for pensioners, changes to scheme of CGEGIS for Central Government employees and pensioners, etc.

"Hardly about one lakh employees have switched over from NPS to UPS pension scheme hence these employees have expressed dissatisfaction of Unified Pension Scheme and all of them prefer the Old Pension Scheme only. However, in the 8th CPC Terms of Reference (ToR) the same is not included. We appeal to include this demand in the Terms of Reference (ToR) of 8th CPC to examine the existing pension schemes and to recommend the beneficial one," the letter said.

The confederation has also requested to include review of health schemes of central government employees and pensioners in the ToR.

"The commission shall review and recommend changes to the health scheme for Central Government employees & pensioners make it to cover all employees working in Autonomous and Statutory Bodies of the Government of India. The opening of more CGHS wellness centres across the district’s headquarters and to ensure cashless and hassle-free medical treatment to employees and Pensioners. The commission also examine the recommendations of the standing committee of Parliament recommendations on CGHS shall be examined and suggest changes in CGHS scheme for Employees and Pensioners," it said.