The 8th Pay Commission’s discussion and consultation process is continuing to gather pace, with the commission holding meetings with stakeholders across various states and union territories over the past few months.

In September, for instance, the 8th Pay Commission held meetings in several cities, and further discussions are scheduled for October. Since the constitution of the pay commission in November 2025, these discussions have provided eligible associations, unions, and stakeholders with an opportunity to put forward their views and grievances on fundamental factors such as minimum pay, fitment factor, increments, allowances, pension reforms, and the pay structure.

Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that the commission held stakeholder meetings in Chennai on September 7–8, followed by Puducherry on 9 September. It then held meetings in Chandigarh from September 16–18. Going forward, the commission has also scheduled meetings in Bengaluru on October 7–8 and in Mumbai on October 22–23.

The upcoming meetings in October 2026 are part of the broader exercise through which the commission is collecting views and ideas from pensioners, serving employees, and other stakeholders. During similar meetings earlier in different states and union territories across the country, various employee organisations have put forward their memorandums and proposals to revise salaries, allowances, and related benefits.

Two prominent employee organisations on the same lines, the National Council-Joint Consultative Machinery (NC-JCM) and the Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh (BPMS), have also submitted detailed demands. Their proposals include different minimum pay figures and fitment factors, along with changes to increments, pay levels and the basis for calculating wages. Let us take a look at their key demands and expectations from the 8th Pay Commission.

NC-JCM and BPMS: What are their key demands?

The following table summarises the prominent proposals mentioned in their respective memorandums:

Note: The demands discussed above are illustrative. For complete details, refer to the official memorandum of the respective union.

The NC-JCM has requested a minimum basic pay of ₹69,000. They have also urged a fitment factor of 3.833, along with a 6% annual increment instead of the current 3%. The union has proposed changes to the existing pay-level structure, including mergers of certain levels and a unified pay matrix up to Level 13, as explained in their memorandum.

The organisation has also proposed a nutrition-linked approach to wage determination, using an ICMR-linked requirement of 3,490 calories, especially for work that demands extensive physical labour. Its proposed salary allocation includes specific components for housing, utilities, skill development and lifestyle or miscellaneous expenditure.

BPMS, meanwhile, has sought a higher minimum basic pay of ₹72,000 and a fitment factor of 4. The organisation has also proposed a 6% annual increment. Its memorandum seeks to link minimum wages to per-capita income growth and proposes increasing the family unit considered for wage calculations from three to five.

According to the figures cited in the BPMS memorandumper-capita net national income increased from ₹1,03,219 in 2016–17 to ₹1,92,774 in 2024–25. This marks an increase of 86.76% over the entire period. The organisation has used this rise as part of its rationale for revisiting the wage calculation framework.

October meetings will keep the consultation process moving

With the recent September meetings concluded successfully in Chennai, Puducherry, and Chandigarh, the next major consultation and discussion on the schedule will be held in Bengaluru and Mumbai, starting on 7 October and 22 October, respectively.

These consultations are expected to provide further opportunities for eligible stakeholders and unions to place their demands and representations before the 8th Pay Commission. Similar aspects, such as fitment factor, employee morale, salary revision, and pension reforms, are expected to be highlighted, though the commission has not set a specific agenda for these meetings.

Further, it is also essential to note that the figures proposed by employee unions and organisations should not be treated as the final salary revisions. The ₹69,000 and ₹72,000 minimum pay figures, along with fitment factors of 3.833 and 4, are demands put forward by the respective unions after careful consideration of inflation and rising living costs. Any final recommendations will depend on the 8th Pay Commission’s assessment and the subsequent government decision based on the same.

What should employees and pensioners focus on?

For serving central government employees and pensioners, the coming months are therefore going to be important, as the 8th Pay Commission will complete 11 months on 3 October 2026, since its constitution on 3 November, 2025.

With just about 7 more months to go before the 8th Pay Commission is tentatively expected to table its final report to the central government. The work of the 8th Pay Commission is now moving towards the most important stage of its consultation process, before the three-member panel headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai eventually submits its data-backed report to the government. These are the aspects that serving employees and pensioners should be focused on.