5,000 AIIMS Nurses Go on Indefinite Strike Over Salary Hike, Appointments

Business Standard 5,000 AIIMS nurses go on indefinite strike over salary hike, appointments

The AIIMS-Delhi Nurses' Union went on an indefinite strike over their long pending demands, including those with regard to the Sixth Central Pay Commission.

The AIIMS-Delhi Nurses' Union went on an indefinite strike from Monday over their long pending demands, including those with regard to the Sixth Central Pay Commission, following which the Union health ministry directed the institute's director to ensure no disruption of nursing functions.

The ministry also said non-compliance of the "code of conduct", laid down as per a Delhi High Court judgment, whereby no employee or staff or faculty member will cease work for any reason, will be treated as an offence under the Disaster Management Act. From Monday afternoon, around 5,000 nurses went on strike, hampering patient care services at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here.

In a video message, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria termed the strike as "inappropriate and unfortunate" in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and appealed to nurses to call off their agitation and return to work.

The nurses' union's demands include correction of an anomaly in the fixation of the initial pay as per the Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC), redressal of issues such as abolishment of gender-based reservation in the recruiting process of nursing officers and contractual appointments, enhancement of hospital accommodation and cadre restructuring.

"I appeal to all nurses and nursing officers not to go on strike, and not to make us feel embarrassed about the dignity that we have as far as the nurses are concerned. I, therefore, appeal to all of you to come back and work and really help us get through this pandemic," Guleria said.

In an order issued to the institute's director, the health ministry said the AIIMS Nurses' Union through their letter, dated November 13, gave a call for an indefinite strike and listed various issues.