Central civil servants expect about ten years before another review of their salaries will take place. Now that the 8th departmental commission council has been formed and is consulting with unions of employees and pensioners in various cities, an important demand has been put forward.
The main claim is that the review cycle for state employees' salaries and pensions should be every five years, not every ten. This would allow employees to avoid waiting a whole decade for the next salary and pension review.
This demand goes beyond a simple pay raise. If the salary review period is shorter, the wage structure can be adjusted more regularly in line with inflation, economic conditions, and changing employee needs. It is important to understand the current system, the reasons for the five-year review demand, and the potential impact on employees and pensioners.
Currently, changes in the salary structure of central civil servants occur approximately every ten years. It was within this system that the 7th departmental commission council was introduced in 2016, and now the 8th departmental commission council is working. This means that after a major salary review, employees have to wait a long time for the next update.
The demand to reduce this period from ten to five years is now presented to the 8th departmental commission council. If the review cycle is shortened to five years, it will lead to a more frequent review of the employees' salary structure. For example, if a major change in the salary structure is introduced in 2026, under a five-year regime, the next review could take place around 2031, whereas under the current ten-year cycle, one would have to wait until 2036.
However, this does not guarantee that the salary will increase by a certain percentage every five years; it will depend on the government's recommendations and the relevant departmental commission council.
Since inflation, rent, children's education costs, healthcare, and daily necessities change rapidly in the long term, long intervals between salary reviews can negatively affect workers' real income. With a five-year cycle, the review of the salary structure can happen relatively faster, allowing for the consideration of changing economic conditions when setting wages. This is why employee unions insist on greater regularity of salary reviews.
Furthermore, this demand also affects pensioners. The recommendations of the departmental commission council also concern pensions. If the salary review cycle is reduced from ten to five years, it may also affect the system of changes related to pensions. However, the exact nature and degree of changes in pensions will depend on future government and commission recommendations.
The 8th departmental commission council has been formed and is collecting proposals from employees, pensioners, and their organizations. During meetings and discussions held in different cities, opinions are gathered on issues related to salaries, allowances, pensions, and service conditions. Among such proposals are demands to shorten the salary review period. Thus, at the moment, this demand is at the level of proposals and discussions, and a decision on its implementation has not yet been made.
No, it is important to understand that presenting the demand to the 8th departmental commission council does not mean it has been adopted. The commission will review proposals from various employee and pensioner unions and then present its recommendations. After that, the government will make a decision on these recommendations. Therefore, at the moment, the five-year salary review should be considered a key demand, not an approved rule.
