Central Pay Commission’s terms of reference rigid: AITUC general secretary

The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has said here on Wednesday (October 29, 2025) that the eighth Central Pay Commission (CPC) should do justice to the government employees and pensioners. Criticising the delay in announcing the CPC, AITUC general secretary Amarjeet Kaur said though the decision to constitute the CPC was announced ahead of the Delhi Assembly election in January this year, it took ten months for the Centre to constitute the panel. She said the decision went to the cold storage and now it is being announced few days ahead of Bihar Assembly polls.

“It took 10 months for [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi-led government to nominate a chairperson and a part-time member for the Commission. The Commission has been given 18 months’ time to submit its report to the government, which means we can expect the report/ recommendations of the 8th Central Pay Commission only during the middle of the year 2027 and by the time the government takes a decision, if it is sincere enough, it may go up to the end of the year 2027. The government employees both Central and States have to wait for another two more years to get their wages revised. This is an injustice on them,” she said.

Ms. Kaur said the ‘Terms of Reference’ given by the government to the CPC is so rigid with lots of compulsions to finalise its recommendations, such as the economic conditions and fiscal prudence.

“All these comes to the mind of the government only when it comes for giving any benefit to the employees and pensioners. Such economic conditions and fiscal prudence etc., are never considered by the Modi government when giving concessions/ reliefs and written off of loans taken by the corporates from the nationalised banks, or reduction of tax rates on the corporates, etc.,” she added.