NIMS contract nurses call off strike after govt's assurance of 30% hike

Hyderabad: On the 11th day of their strike, 423 contract nurses of NIMS hospital called off their strike after the government orally gave an assurance of accepting their demands.

At around 4 pm on 6 April, the strike was called off and all the contract nurses got back to their duties. Briefing the nurses about the outcomes of yesterday's meeting with Health Minister Harish Rao, Director of NIMS hospital assured that the 30% hike in remuneration of contracted nurses will be implemented hereafter. It has to be recalled that this revision in salaries of contract employees was announced by the Telangana government in June 2021.

Additionally, in the meeting with the Health Minister, it has been decided that contact nurses will hereafter receive all benefits like maternity leave, provident fund, etc. It was also assured that payslips will be given to these employees and all arrears of the last year will be cleared this month, said one of the contract nurses who took part in the strike.

However, the final government order regarding the same will be issued only after a meeting of the contract nurses with the Additional Labour Commissioner scheduled to be held on 18 April.

For the last ten days, 423 contract nurses of NIMS hospital in Punjagutta have been striking. Their key demands included regularisation of contract positions, revision of pay scale, maternity leaves, etc. Some of these contract nurses have been in contract positions for over a decade now.

On 5 April, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President and Malkajgiri MP Revanth Reddy wrote an open letter to Health Minister Harish Rao seeking an immediate solution to the concerns raised by contact nurses of NIMS. In the letter, he wrote, "The role of nurses is crucial in serving poor patients. If nurses boycott their duties, that will severely impact the medical services, especially for the poor."

On Tuesday, All India Congress Committee (AICC) member Bakka Judson filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) against the Telangana government for violating human rights concerns of contract nurses by not giving maternity leaves, not revising salary scales, and for not making permanent, contract nurses who have been working for around 10 years.