8th Pay Commission: Row Deepens Post Budget 2026, Central Staff Warn of All-India Strike

Central government employees and pensioners have warned of a one-day nationwide strike on 12 February 2026 in protest over issues related to the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC). The Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers (CCGEW), which represents a large section of public sector workers, has written to the Cabinet Secretary urging meaningful discussions on pay revision, pensions and staffing concerns. Unless their demands are addressed, the protest could go ahead, signalling rising dissatisfaction within government services amid ongoing pay commission deliberations.

Key Demands Behind The Strike Threat

The CCGEW has pinpointed several major grievances with the current framework of the 8th Pay Commission, which was constituted in November 2025 and given 18 months to submit its report. Unions have called for changes to the Terms of Reference (ToR), insisting that formal submissions from the CCGEW and the National Council (Staff Side) of the Joint Consultative Machinery be included in the commission’s deliberations on salary and pension revisions.

Among their core requests are:

• The merger of 50 per cent of Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) with basic pay and pension.
• A 20 per cent interim relief on pay and pension, effective from 1 January 2026, until the Pay Commission’s recommendations are implemented.
• Reform of pension schemes, including shelving the National Pension System (NPS) and Unified Pension Scheme in favour of restoring the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for all central staff.
• Unions are also pressing for the release of three frozen instalments of DA/DR withheld during the Covid-19 pandemic and a reduction in the period required for pension commutation restoration.

Staffing, Service Conditions & Broader Concerns

Beyond pay and pensions, CCGEW has highlighted staffing shortages and service-related issues, including the removal of caps on compassionate appointments, filling vacant posts, and ending outsourcing and corporatisation of government services.

Participation in the threatened strike is expected from employees across all CCGEW-affiliated bodies if the government does not engage with the detailed charter of demands presented. The planned action reflects mounting pressure from central government workers for improved financial security, better working conditions and a more inclusive pay revision process.