New Delhi The nurses union of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) announced an indefinite strike from Monday over their long pending demands.
AIIMS director Randeep Guleria termed the nurses strike in the time of the covid pandemic “inappropriate and unfortunate”, appealed them to call off their strike.
Around 5,000 nurses struck work from Monday afternoon over unmet demands, including those regarding the Sixth Central Pay Commission and against contractual appointments.
“I appeal to all nurses and nursing officers not to go on strike, and not to make us feel embarrassed…come back and work, and help us get through this pandemic,” he said in a video message.
The strike was scheduled to start from December 16.
The nurses union had made 23 demands, including one that Guleria claimed is a perceived anomaly in the fixation of initial pay as per the Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC).
The AIIMS director said multiple meetings have been held with the nurses union and it was explained that the interpretation is incorrect.
Besides the demands with regard to the sixth CPC, nurses have also been demanding redressal of issues such as abolishing gender-based reservation in recruiting of nursing officers.
In a letter to the director, the union said no solid solution was taken by AIIMS administration and rather their demand on the sixth CPC anomaly was turned down.
“Adding to this, it is shocking to know that the AIIMS administration decided to recruit nursing officers on contractual basis immediately, which is against our demands,” the nurses said in the letter.
Guleria said WHO declared 2020 as the year of nurse and midwife as it is the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale.
AIIMS, meanwhile, has issued a statement that the nurses union in AIIMS, New Delhi, is on a protest “in contravention of directions of the Delhi high court in relation to the code of conduct”.
“The various demands raised by the nurses union stand discussed with them for resolution. The union has however abandoned many critically ill patients on the demand of perceived anomaly of fixation of the initial pay related to 6th CPC of the year 2006,” the statement said.