Last verified: 13 October 2026. What this page covers: these are demands, not decisions. None of them has been accepted by the 8th Central Pay Commission or by the government. How to read the labels: Proposed = taken from the union’s own memorandum or letter, which we opened; Reported = carried by media or a union circular, where we could not open the original document; Confirmed = an official government source (linked); Estimate = our own arithmetic.
Quick answer
- The NC-JCM Staff Side sets the common demands of central government employees. Its memorandum of 14 April 2026 asks for a minimum pay of ₹69,000, a fitment factor of 3.833 and a 6% annual increment. It also asks for NPS and UPS to be withdrawn and the old non-contributory pension restored. Proposed
- FNPO (postal) first argued for ₹54,000 and a factor of 3.00. In February 2026 it asked for 50% of DA to be merged with basic pay from 1 January 2026 as interim relief. Its April 2026 memorandum adopts the JCM figures of 3.833 and 6%. Proposed
- AITUC wants a fitment factor of at least 3.0, a return to the Old Pension Scheme, and restoration of commuted pension after 11–12 years instead of 15. Reported
- Government position: no proposal to merge DA with basic pay is under consideration (December 2025). The Commission has not yet submitted recommendations (August 2026). Confirmed
Union vs demand: comparison table
| Body | Fitment factor | Minimum pay | Annual increment | DA / interim relief | Pension | Label & source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC-JCM Staff Side (memorandum dated 14 Apr 2026) | 3.833 | ₹69,000 (five-unit family) | 6% (now 3%) | Allowances to rise 3x and be linked to DA. The memorandum also asked that the benefit of accumulated DA be recognised in the new matrix (as reported). | Withdraw NPS and UPS and restore non-contributory pension. Restore commuted pension after 11 years. Raise pension every 5 years. | Proposed NC-JCM circular (reproduced) |
| FNPO (Federation of National Postal Organisations) | 3.00 (Jan 2026), then 3.833 (Apr 2026) | At least ₹54,000 (Jan 2026), then the JCM figure | 6% (Apr 2026) | Merge 50% DA with basic pay/pension w.e.f. 1.1.2026 as interim relief (letter of 27 Feb 2026) | Follows the JCM memorandum | Proposed Jan 2026 paper, DA-merger letter, Part II memorandum (large PDF) |
| AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress) | At least 3.0 | Not specified in the reports we checked | 6% | Revised DA calculation | Scrap NPS and UPS and restore OPS. Commutation restoration in 11–12 years. Pension up 5% every 5 years. | Reported (ET, 10 Mar 2026) |
| Confederation of Central Govt Employees & Workers | — | — | — | Joined the call for a 50% DA merger as interim relief. Has written asking for the July 2026 DA/DR to be declared early. | — | Reported (The Secretariat) |
| Bharat Pensioners Samaj | — | — | — | Revise DA/DR every quarter. Merge DR into basic pension once it crosses 25%. | Fresh actuarial review of the commutation period | Reported (The Secretariat, Aug 2026) |
Fitment arithmetic: 18,000 × 3.833 = ₹68,994, which is about the ₹69,000 demanded. 18,000 × 3.00 = ₹54,000. Estimate Try other factors in our salary calculator.
NC-JCM Staff Side: the umbrella memorandum
The National Council (JCM) Staff Side is the apex staff body. Its Secretary is Shiva Gopal Mishra. Its memorandum covers common service matters and pensioners. Member federations, including railways, defence, postal and audit, file separate cadre-specific memoranda. According to the Staff Side’s own circular, the Standing Committee presented the memorandum to the full Commission on 28 April 2026. Reported
Main demands, as listed in the circular: Proposed
- Minimum wage of ₹69,000. It is worked out for a five-unit family including parents, using the 15th ILC/Aykroyd approach with ICMR calorie norms, plus housing, fuel, a skill component and a technology allowance.
- Fitment factor of 3.833 (₹69,000 ÷ ₹18,000), to apply to both pay and pension.
- Merger of pay scales: Levels 2+3, 4+5, 7+8 and 9+10. Levels 11–17 would be renumbered.
- 6% annual increment. Five promotions in 30 years, or ACP in the promotional hierarchy. Two increments on promotion or MACP.
- Allowances raised three times and linked to DA. Interest-free advances, with festival advance restored.
- Leave: no cap on EL accumulation, and encashment up to 600 days on retirement.
- Bonus: remove the ceiling and pay on actual basic pay plus DA.
- Pension: withdraw NPS and UPS and restore non-contributory pension. “One Rank One Pension” for civilians. Restore commuted pension after 11 years. Raise pension every five years.
- Effective date: 1 January 2026. Reported (summary circulated by a retired officers’ association)
Correction: some posts, including an earlier one on this site, said NC-JCM was demanding a 3.25 factor and a 7% increment. Those figures came from media reports of the February 2026 drafting-committee stage. Reported The memorandum actually filed says 3.833 and 6%.
FNPO: from 3.00 to a DA-merger push
- 7 January 2026: FNPO’s paper to the JCM drafting committee demanded “minimum pay … not less than ₹54,000, with a fitment factor of 3.00”, based on full application of the 15th ILC norms. Proposed (FNPO paper) Media also reported graded factors of 3.0–3.25 and a 5% increment from a longer FNPO letter. Reported
- 27 February 2026: letter to Chairperson Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai asking her to recommend “the merger of 50% Dearness Allowance with Basic Pay/Pension with effect from 01.01.2026 as a measure of interim relief”. FNPO said it handed the letter in at the Commission. Proposed (FNPO HQ)
- 20 April 2026: the Part II memorandum for postal employees treats the JCM memorandum as Part I. It adopts the 3.833 factor and the 6% increment and sets out postal cadre pay structures. Proposed
What a 50% DA merger would mean (illustration)
Take a Level 1 employee on ₹18,000 basic pay. If 50 percentage points of DA were folded in, basic pay would become ₹27,000. DA would then be 10% (60% − 50%) on the new basic, so gross basic plus DA stays at ₹28,800. Pay-linked items such as HRA, TA’s DA element, pension contributions and gratuity would then be calculated on a larger base. Estimate A DA merger did happen once before, in 2004. Department of Expenditure orders still refer to the “merger of Dearness Allowance (DA) with Basic Pay” that year. Confirmed (DoE OM, 10 Aug 2004)
Current government stance: “No proposal regarding merger of the existing Dearness Allowance with the Basic Pay is under consideration with the Government at present.” The reply adds that DA/DR are revised every six months using AICPI-IW. Confirmed (Lok Sabha Unstarred Q. 212, 1 Dec 2025; reply copy)
AITUC: twelve demands
AITUC wrote to the Chairperson in March 2026 and responded to the 18-question questionnaire. As reported: Reported
- A fitment factor of at least 3.0 and a 6% annual increment
- Withdrawal of NPS and UPS and restoration of OPS, on the basis that pension is “deferred wage”
- Pension raised by 5% every five years, as a Parliamentary Committee once suggested
- Commuted pension restored after 11–12 years instead of 15
- At least five promotions in a 30-year career, leave encashment up to 450 days, and higher compensation for high-risk services
- Implementation from 1 January 2026
Correction: an earlier post here described AITUC as wanting an “extended” commutation period and a ₹26,000 minimum pay. Both were wrong. The demand is to shorten the restoration period, and we found no source for ₹26,000.
Where these demands meet the Terms of Reference
- The ToR ask the Commission to keep in view “fiscal prudence” and “the unfunded cost of non-contributory pension schemes”. That is directly relevant to the OPS demand. Confirmed (Gazette resolution) NC-JCM has objected to the word “unfunded”. Reported
- For NPS/UPS employees, the ToR cover gratuity. For employees outside NPS/UPS, they cover pension and gratuity.
- The ToR explicitly ask for allowances to be rationalised. Demands to triple allowances will be weighed against that.
- The Commission sets its own procedure and is not required to report progress to the government while it works. Confirmed (Rajya Sabha reply, 28 Jul 2026)
For dates and the current stage, see the 8th Pay Commission latest news & timeline. Pensioners can model scenarios with the pension calculator.
FAQ
Which fitment factor are unions demanding?
NC-JCM and FNPO (in its final memorandum) ask for 3.833. AITUC asks for at least 3.0. These are demands only.
Has the government accepted the DA merger demand?
No. In December 2025 it told Parliament that no such proposal is under consideration.
Did NC-JCM ask for a 3.25 fitment factor?
That figure was reported during the drafting stage. The memorandum filed on 14 April 2026 says 3.833.
What do unions want on commuted pension?
NC-JCM wants restoration after 11 years and AITUC after 11–12 years. Restoration currently happens after 15 years. DoPPW’s DR orders refer to “restoration of full pension after expiry of commutation period of 15 years”. Confirmed (DoPPW OM, DR from 01.07.2024)
Can individual employees still send suggestions?
No. The questionnaire closed on 31 March 2026 and memoranda closed on 15 June 2026 (8cpc.gov.in).
Union documents are the unions’ own positions. Where we could open the original, the label is “Proposed”. Where only media or circular reports exist, the label is “Reported”. Official sources used: 8cpc.gov.in, the Gazette resolution of 3 Nov 2025, the DoE OM of 10 Aug 2004, and the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha replies of 1 Dec 2025 and 28 Jul 2026.