In support of their various demands the nurses of Government hospitals went on an indefinite strike from Thursday even as the State Chief Minister (CM) Harish Rawat made an appeal to the agitating nurses to withdraw their strike.
The threat of imposing of Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) by theState Government too failed to deter the nurses from going ahead with the strike. In another important development the Uttarakhand High Court (HC) admitted a Public Interest litigation (PIl) in which the petitioner has pleaded the HC to declare the strike illegal. The HC would hear the PIl on Friday.
In the State capital the nurses assembled at the campus of nurses hostel located in front of Doon hospital and retorted to slogan shouting in favour of their demands. The State President of Uttarakhand Nursing Services Association (UNSA), Anjana Bhowmick said that the issue of grade pay is a matter of pride for nurses of the State.
The speakers on the occasion said that being educationally more qualified than the pharmacists they deserve higher grade pays.
Meanwhile senior health department officials continued their efforts to persuade the nurses to call off their strike.
State Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi held a meeting at Vidhan Sabha on Thursday with a delegation of nurses to break the deadlock. The spokesperson of the UNSA, laxmi Punetha told The Pioneer that the meeting was held in a positive environment. She said that the Health Minister was told by the nurses that they would call off strike only when the State Government releases written order for increase in their grade pays.
On the strike call given by the association the nurses in all district hospitals of the State held protest meetings on Thursday. In the State health department there are 1270 nurses and almost all of them are on strike.
Interestingly senior nurses working on administrative posts like matrons too are on strike. The major demand of the nurses is increasing their grade pays. Their other demands are setting up separate Nursing directorate and increased chances of promotions to higher posts.
The nurses are also asking for implementation long pending issue of proper structure of their cadre and preparation of service manual.