Health workers strike over ‘no pay' in 3 dists
Although their salaries have been due since April, no payments have been made, fueling frustration, particularly as monsoon-related duties intensify.
Workers also said that their Employees' Provident Fund contributions have not been deposited since January. According to doctors on duty, the protest impacted the health services to some extent across the three districts on Tuesday.
In Tehri, 52 workers submitted a memorandum to the chief medical officer, while around 150 and 175 workers joined the strike in Almora and Nainital, respectively.
NHM Workers' Association has warned that if payments are not cleared soon, more of the state's approximately 1,400 NHM staff may join the protest Those on strike include staff nurses, ANMs and data entry operators among others.
"This is a recurring concern that needs a permanent solution. In a season where many are deployed on disaster relief and Char Dham duties, how can they perform at their best when morale is so low?" said Sunil Bhandari of the NHM workers' association, Uttarakhand.
Meanwhile, the health authorities claimed they have already resolved the issue and that the pending salaries will be disbursed soon.
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