NFIR Presents Charter of Demands Before The 8th Central Pay Commission

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New Delhi: The General Secretary/NFIR Dr. M. Raghavaiah made following observations on the 8th Pay Commission presented by the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (#NFIR) in the meeting with the Commission on 30th October, 2026 in Conference Room, 7th Floor, Chander Lok Building, Janpath, New Delhi.

A high-level delegation of the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) today presented the demands of Railway employees before the 8th Central Pay Commission. The presentation was made in the presence of the Hon’ble Chairperson of the Commission, Member Secretary & other senior officials.

The NFIR delegation comprised Guman Singh, President; Dr. M. Raghavaiah, General Secretary; and B. C. Sharma, Working President; R. P. Singh, Treasurer; Munindra Saikia, Vice-President, R. G. Kabar, Ashok Sharma and Praveen C. Bajpai, Joint General Secretaries; and V. Gopalakrishnan, Assistant General Secretary.

The delegation placed before the Commission the Federation’s main demands concerning revision of pay, allowances, career progression and service conditions, highlighting the need for a fair, rational and substantially improved pay structure for Railway employees.

The major demands presented by NFIR included:

  1. Minimum Pay: Fixation of minimum pay at Rs. 69,000 per month.
  2. Fitment Factor: Adoption of a fitment factor of 3.833 to ensure an adequate and meaningful revision of pay.
  3. Annual Increment: Enhancement of the annual increment from the existing 3% to 6%, with a minimum financial benefit of Rs. 10,000.
  4. Career Progression: Provision of at least five promotions during an employee’s service career to address stagnation and ensure meaningful advancement.
  5. Merger of DA: Merger of Dearness Allowance with basic pay whenever DA reaches 25%.
  6. Open-ended Pay Scales: Introduction of open-ended pay scales to ensure that employees are not deprived of due financial progression during their service.
  7. Improved Railway Pay Structure: A distinct and improved pay structure for Railway employees, duly recognising the unique, arduous and hazardous nature of Railway duties.
  8. Pension Reform: 67% of last pay drawn, 50% family pension, Commutation to be deducted only for 11 years in place of 15 years.
  9. Allowance & Advances: Restore all discontinued allowances. Allowances be raised to 3 times.
  10. Job Specific Allowances: Consider job-specific allowances for various categories.
  11. Running Allowance & Incentive: May be left to be decided by Ministry of Railway in consultation with the Federation through dialogue as was done in the previous Pay Commission.
  12. Ceiling of NDA/NHA: To be paid without any restriction of ceiling.
  13. MACPS: Modify APAR benchmarking to ‘Good’ from ‘Very Good’.
  14. Railway Passes: Parents should be included in the Railway Passes of the employee.

Railway employees discharge an exceptional nature responsibilities

The Federation forcefully emphasised that Railway employees discharge responsibilities of an exceptional nature, working round the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to maintain the uninterrupted movement of passengers and freight and to ensure the safety and operational efficiency of the Railway system. Their duties frequently involve extreme hazards, difficult working conditions, demanding responsibilities and exposure to risks in the course of day-to-day operations.

NFIR impressed upon the Commission that the pay structure of Railway employees must reflect not merely the general principles of pay revision applicable to other Central Government employees, but also the distinctive nature of Railway operations, the responsibilities shouldered by Railwaymen and their indispensable contribution to the national economy.

The Chairperson and other officials of the 8th Central Pay Commission listened patiently to the demands and the arguments advanced by the Federation. The delegation presented its case in detail and urged the Commission to give due weightage to the legitimate expectations and long-pending demands of Railway employees.

NFIR expressed its firm hope that the 8th Central Pay Commission would give serious and sympathetic consideration to the Federation’s proposals and recommend a pay structure that duly recognises the contribution, skills, responsibilities, hardships and occupational risks of Railway employees.