The central government has officially released the notification for the 8th Pay Commission (8th CPC) on November 3. Now, an important step is scheduled for November 15, when the NC-JCM Staff Side will hold a crucial standing committee meeting in Delhi.

This group represents millions of central government employees and around 69 lakh pensioners. Although the official letter issued by AIRF General Secretary Shiva Gopal Mishra does not mention the meeting agenda, several major issues are expected to be discussed.

Why is this meeting important?

This will be the first major strategy meeting after the government set up the 8th Pay Commission. In this meeting, employee representatives will decide how to present their demands related to:

• Salary hike
  
• Pension revision
  
• Allowances
  
• Service conditions
  

Benefits for pensioners

The Staff Side is the official platform where employees and pensioners put forward their concerns before the government.

Read Also: PM Kisan Update: Eligible Farmers Can Now Receive ₹4,000—Follow These Simple Steps

What is NC-JCM and how does it work?

The NC-JCM (National Council Joint Consultative Machinery) is a three level system where employee representatives (staff side) and government officials (official side) discuss & negotiate important matters.The three levels are

• National Council – Handles major issues like Pay Commission.
  
• Departmental Council – Discusses department-specific concerns.
  
• Regional/Office Council – Looks into issues at regional or office level.
  

The staff side includes leaders from major employee unions whose job is to safeguard the rights and interests of both employees and pensioners.

What may be discussed on November 15?

Even though the official letter doesn’t specify the agenda, earlier discussions suggest these topics may be raised:

• Revision of pay scales
  
• Pension reform
  
• DA (Dearness Allowance) merger
  
• Interim relief for employees
  
• Improvements in health benefits
  

These issues were submitted to the government in February, but they were not included in the final Terms of Reference (ToR) for the 8th Pay Commission. This makes it more likely that the Staff Side will push them again in this meeting.

Concerns raised by AIDEF

The All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF) recently wrote to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, pointing out major gaps in the ToR. Their key concerns include:

• The ToR does not mention the implementation date of the 8th Pay Commission.
  
• No clear reference to pension revision for 69 lakh pensioners and family pensioners.
  
• The ToR hints that the government might be changing the traditional 10-year Pay Commission cycle.
  

AIDEF called these omissions “unfortunate and unfair.”
They also noted that the 7th Pay Commission had clearly given its implementation date as January 1, 2016.

Why November 15 matters for employees & pensioners

Although the meeting is internal, the decisions taken will directly affect central employees and nearly 69 lakh pensioners. Key strategies must be finalized on:

• Whether pension revision will be included
  
• What implementation date should be demanded
  
• How pay revision should be structured
  

These decisions will shape the staff side’s official stand when they meet government representatives in the coming months.