NHM workers call off proposed strike

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30

The National Health Mission (NHM) workers on Wednesday announced to call off their proposed strike following the acceptance of their demands by the state government.

Over 13,500 workers decided to protest from Friday.

Amneet P Kumar, mission director of the NHM, said a meeting of protesting workers with the additional chief secretary of the Health Department, RR Jowel, had been positive and the workers had agreed to call off their strike.

Rihan Raza, state president of the NHM Workers’ Association, said the authorities concerned had agreed to stop the process of outsourcing RTS employees that affected NHM workers and had also agreed upon constituting a committee, including two representatives from the NHM workers, to amend the service rules.

Health Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said the Haryana Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) would be enforced if the NHM workers proceeded on strike and they could lose their jobs in that event.

Over 13,500 workers of the NHM, which includes doctors, nurses, paramedics, office clerks and class four employees, had threatened to proceed on strike from May 31 against failure of the state government in accepting their demands.

The workers were agitated over the government’s recent move to fill various posts in the referral transport service (RTS), also called ambulance services, through outsourcing.

The NHM workers were also angry over the government’s unwillingness to remove anomalies left out in their service rules framed in January this year after their prolonged strike.

Committee to amend service rules 

• Over 13,500 workers had decided to protest on Thursday 
• The authorities concerned agreed to stop the process of outsourcing RTS employees
• A committee will be constituted to amend the service rules

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