8th Pay Commission Pay Scale Merger: The Staff Side of the National Council-JCM, which represents Central Government employees, has submitted its recommendations to the 8th Central Pay Commission. In the MoU it proposed merging several existing pay scales and using a fitment factor of 3.833 to calculate revised salaries. If accepted, the move could lead to a major increase in minimum basic pay across different employee levels. Here’s a closer look at the pay scale merger proposal suggested by the Staff Side.
Currently, there are 17 pay scales, termed Level 1 to Level 17. The Staff Side has suggested the merger of the following pay levels:
- Merger of Level 2 and Level 3 into one pay scale at Level 3.
- Merger of Level 4 and Level 5 into one pay scale at Level 5.
- Merger of Level 7 and Level 8 into one pay scale at Level 8.
- Merger of Level 9 and Level 10 into one pay scale at Level 10.
- Merger of Level 5 into Level 6 as a one-time measure.
The Staff Side has also suggested a fitment factor of 3.833 for the new pay revision. If this proposal is accepted, the minimum basic salary for Level 1 employees could go up to nearly ₹69,000. Along with this, it also submitted a detailed pay scale chart showing the revised salary structure and the possible increase in pay after the proposed merger and salary revision.
| Proposed level | Existing pay matrix | Proposed minimum pay of the proposed pay scales on applying the 3.833 fitment factor |
|---|---|---|
| Pay Scale 1 (existing Level 1) | ₹18,000 – 56,900 | ₹69,000 |
| Pay Scale 2 (after merger of existing Level 2 & 3) | ₹21,700 – 69,100 | ₹83,200 |
| Pay Scale 3 (after merger of existing Level 4 & 5) | ₹29,200 – 92,300 | ₹1,12,000 |
| Pay Scale 4 (existing Level 6) | ₹35,400 – 1,12,400 | ₹1,35,700 |
| Pay Scale 5 (after merger of existing Level 7 & 8) | ₹47,600 – 1,51,100 | ₹1,82,500 |
| Pay Scale 6 (after merger of existing Level 9 & 10) | ₹56,100 – 1,77,500 | ₹2,15,100 |
| Pay Scales 7–13 (existing Levels 11–17, renumbered) | To be retained using fitment factor 3.833 | — |
It is important to note that the 8th Central Pay Commission has not approved these proposals yet.
Currently the commission is collecting suggestions and memorandums from different groups, including organisations representing Central Government employees and pensioners. The final decision will only become clear after the Pay Commission officially releases its recommendations, and that process could still take several months.
