A massive demonstration took place on 1 April 2008 at Parliament Street, New Delhi, by the Government Employees National Confederation (GENC), affiliated to Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, protesting the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission. Workers representing postal, railways, defence, central secretariat, AFHQ, currency & coins, and the state government employees of Delhi Jal Board, DTC, NDMC, MCD, Delhi Fire Service, etc., participated in the demonstration, expressing their anguish and resentment.

Addressing the rally, PJ Soundararajan, secretary of GENC, said that in comparison to current recommendations, those of the Fifth Central Pay Commission were better. According to him, the Sixth Pay Commission, instead of removing the existing anomalies, has created more inequalities among all salary levels in various grades. He opposed the idea of pay band structure to the armed forces, by pointing out that the Fifth Pay Commission had already rejected it. GENC unanimously demanded that the Prime Minister should look into the grievances of the employees and take necessary action to review the entire report of the Commission immediately and carry out suitable modifications, before implementing it.

Virender Sharma, spokesperson of the Confederation, said, “The employees working in the Ministry of Defence are deeply anguished over the recommendations of the Pay Commission. If the government does not agree to review the recommendations, the government employees would show the doors to this government in the coming elections,” he added.

The protestors also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister requesting that attention be paid to the demands of the government employees at the earliest.