Odisha nursing staff stage protest; threaten cease-work

Members of the Odisha Nursing Employees Association staged protests in Bhubaneswar on Friday pressing for their 10-point charter of demands.

More than 15,000 nursing employees hit the streets at Lower PMG and shouted slogans over their demands.

Odisha Nursing Employees Association has even threatened to go for cease-work agitation on August 27 if their demands are not met.

The protestors alleged that though the previous government had abolished the contractual system, several nursing employees are allegedly not getting due financial benefits as many senior nurses are still getting salaries at par with the juniors or even less.

“Though the government abolished the contractual employment system, we are yet to get its benefit. Jobs of the employees after working for six years as contractual staff before November 2013 were regularised. However, their six years of service were not counted as employment tenure. On the other hand, those who were employed after November 2013 got the financial benefits. Though seniority has been restored, some seniors are even getting salaries lower than juniors,” rued a nursing staff from VIMSAR, Burla.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance (ESMA) Act prohibiting strikes by class-III and class-IV employees in the health sector to ensure that medical services are not disrupted.

In response, another protesting nursing staff said, “We have not stopped our work today. We joined the protest after work. The government should discuss with us and take steps to fulfil our 10-point charter of demands at the earliest. We are working on public holidays and not even getting any compensatory leave for it.”