The charter of demands submitted to the Union Cabinet Secretary has also sought the merger of the 50% DA/DR with the basic pay/pension and the grant of 20% of pay/pension as interim relief from 1 January 2026. Sources stated that these demands have been put forth, considering that the 8th CPC may have been implemented from 1 January 2026. Now, the Central government employees have to wait for several months before receiving a revised salary and arrears in their respective accounts.

NPS/OPS

The confederation has also sought the scrapping of the National Pension Scheme (NPS) and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for all employees. It has also suggested that "no distinctions amongst pensioners be made, based on factors like date of retirement".

"Release the three instalments (18 months) of DA/DAR frozen during the Covid-19 pandemic to the employees and pensioners, and restore the commuted part of pension after 11 years, instead of 15 years," the employees' body stated.

The body has also demanded the removal of the 5% ceiling on compassionate appointments and the granting of compassionate appointments in all cases to wards and dependents of deceased employees.

Speaking to The Secretariat, S.B. Yadav, Secretary-General, the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, said that the government had so far not accepted the demands of the employees' body.

We will go ahead with the strike to ensure that our genuine demands are met. The government needs to provide immediate interim relief to employees, as the recommendations of the 8th CPC are expected to be delayed

S.B. Yadav, Secretary-General, Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers

There are an estimated 7.5 million Central government employees in the country, and this includes defence personnel. About 69 lakh pensioners in the country have also been waiting for the 8th CPC’s recommendations.

Sources pointed out that although the government has approved the ToR for the 8th CPC, its recommendations are yet to be submitted. "The Pay Commission would only be considered operational after the 8th CPC submits its recommendations to the Central government. The next step would be the Centre accepting these recommendations, and an official notification would be published in the Gazette," sources pointed out.

When To Expect A Salary Hike

The 8th CPC is still trying to formulate recommendations on the revision of salaries. The revised salaries would be disbursed to the Central government employees after the Union Cabinet approves the recommendations of the commission.

Sources stated that the government employees and pensioners will have to wait for several months to receive a raise in their salaries. According to earlier precedents, once the report is submitted, the government usually takes another three to six months to assess the recommendations of the commission.

Then the recommendations are approved by the Union Cabinet, after which a Gazette notification is issued. It is understood that it could be anytime in 2027 or early 2028 that the government is able to implement the recommendations of the 8th CPC.

When Will Arrears Be Cleared?

The Central government employees were expecting new salaries and pensions from January 2026.  According to the rules, Central government employees and pensioners will receive their arrears in accordance with the implementation of the 8th CPC.

For example, if the 8th CPC is implemented in June 2027, employees and pensioners will receive their arrears from January 2026 to May 2027, or until the time their salary hike takes effect.

The pay commission is typically constituted once every 10 years to review and recommend changes in the salary structure, allowances, and pensions of government employees. The 7th CPC was constituted in 2014, and its recommendations were implemented from 1 January 2016. 

How Much Will The Government Pay?

Sources stated that the combined cost of increased salaries and pensions under the 8th CPC could cross ₹4 lakh crore. With arrears for nearly five quarters, similar to previous pay cycles, the overall financial burden may approach ₹9 lakh crore, making it one of the costliest pay revisions to date. 

The Central government will need to balance this additional expenditure with its fiscal stability goals, sources added.

The Narendra Modi-led government announced the 8th CPC on 16 January 2025. The Union Cabinet on October 28 approved the ToR for the Commission, which will review salaries, allowances and pension benefits for Central government employees and pensioners. The tenure of the 7th Pay Commission ended on 31 December last year.