Nurses threaten indefinite strike from August 2

Services in all the government hospitals are likely to get severely affected as nurses across India have warned to go on an indefinite strike from August 2, a move which will mean complete shut down of medical services. Nurses have been agitating against the recommendations of 7th pay commission, demanding revision in their pay scale and hike in allowances. To keep situation under control, Union health minister J.P. Nadda will meet the head of nurses association on Monday and take up their issue with the government.

Citing that the seventh pay commission has given them a raw deal, the nurses have decided to go on a strike, paralysing services in all major government hospitals if their demands are not met. “We have been demanding our allowances, better pay and assured career progression. Unless these demands are met we will not work. Now that the seventh pay commission report has been accepted in the Cabinet, we want our demands to be fulfilled too. We are not satisfied with the report and will fight for our rights,” said a member of nurses association on condition of anonymity.

So far, the Union health ministry has had three rounds of discussions with several associations of nurses. Sources revealed that on Monday the minister will meet the members of the nurses association again and is likely to take up the matter with the DoPT and finance ministry. “The health ministry will take their demands to the government. If they go on strike several lives will be at stake. The health ministry has been meeting them regularly and is well aware of their demands. The health minister will meet them again on Monday,” sources added.

The unions have been protesting since December last year, demanding a hike in pay grade, nursing allowance, risk allowance and night-duty allowance. Earlier, thousands of nurses working in government hospitals had participated in a 16-day-long programme of protest actions in front of Parliament. This had paralysed health services to an extent that many routine surgeries had to be postponed in hospitals.