Govt warns of action if nurses go on strike

Despite the recent warning by the All India Nurses Federation that they could go on strike from September 2, the government on Monday said that it would not shy away from taking strict action if the strike takes place.

The nurses had been agitating against the recommendations of the seventh pay commission, demanding a revision in their pay scale and a hike in allowances.

A senior health ministry official said that the ministry had done all that it could do, and if the nurses still go on strike “punitive action will be taken against them”.

Health ministry officials will hold the final round of discussions with the nurses’ federation on Tuesday. However, if the negotiations do not bear fruit, the health ministry will take “walk-in interviews” to hire nurses, and may rope in nurses from the Army and the BSF.

“We have been trying to help them out. Their allowances and increasing pay scale is not in our hands. We have suggested to the finance ministry to look into the matter too. Even the finance ministry asked the representatives of the nurses federation to make a presentation before the allowance committee, but they are adamant,” said a senior health ministry official.

If they continue and still go on strike. We will take another route and may take dire step,” said a senior official in the health ministry.

The nurses across India have warned of strike, hitting health services at all government hospitals, if their grievances are not addressed.

Earlier on August 1 too, a series of discussion with the union health minister JP Nadda and union health secretary CK Mishra, lead to deferment of the strike after the nurses were assured of a “fair deal”.

Citing that the seventh pay commission has given them a raw deal, the nurses have been demanding better allowances, pay hike and assured career progression. They had decided to go on strike, paralyzing services at all major government hospitals.

The unions have been protesting since December last year, demanding a hike in pay grade, nursing allowance, risk allowance and night-duty allowance. Thousands of nurses working in government hospitals had participated in a 16 day long program of protest actions in front of the parliament. This paralysed health services to an extent that many routine surgeries had to be postponed in Delhi.The nurses later called it off following assurance from the health minister.