As a protest against “discrimination” in the Seventh Central Pay Commission, nearly 5,000 nurses of the emergency services at AIIMS planned to go on a mass casual leave on Friday. The nurses union at AIIMS has also said that they will go on an indefinite hunger strike from March 27 if the system doesn’t meet their demand for revision of their payroll.
As per sources, the effects of this move will not be limited to emergency services but also the functioning of operation theatres.
“Emergency services will be shut on Friday as the nurses’ union has decided to go on mass leave. However, the outpatient department and follow-up services will be functional,” Dr Amit Gupta, AIIMS spokesperson, said.
“We have fully communicated to the union about the proposal. Till Thursday evening, we were in talks with them. However, they have decided to go on a mass leave,” Dr Gupta added.
As per the AIIMS Union president Harish Kumar Kajla, president, “We are protesting the retrograde recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission. We demand that entry pay grade for staff nurses to be enhanced to Rs 5,400 from Rs 4,600, and that nursing allowance be enhanced by Rs 7,800. Besides, risk and night duty allowances should be given to all nurses just like other government employees.”
The nurses Union claims that their problems have not been addressed for over a year. “After the assurance by the management in a meeting regarding recommendation of enhanced pay scale, an agitation called by the All India Nurses’ Union was withdrawn on February 26, 2016,” a union member said.
