Srinagar, Sep 11: Just as the ongoing strike of National Health Mission healthcare workers was coming to an end, their Association has announced one more strike, starting 12 September, and ending 72 hours later.
The government might have hoped J&K’s health worker strike would quietly wind down after 72 hours.
However, the contractual backbone of health centres, hospitals and field units across J&K will remain off duty in a standoff over pay, pensions and permanence.
The strike is stretched into its second phase without a breakthrough.
The Jammu and Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association (JKNHMEA) announced the decision on Thursday.
It said that the agitation will roll on for another three days, starting September 12.
The extension will keep thousands of NHM staff unavailable for over-stretched hospitals and health facilities across Jammu and Kashmir regions.
It will also have a bearing on central healthcare schemes that lean on NHM staff for implementation.
These include programs on tuberculosis, immunisation and mother and child services.
The Association has said that the demands raised are neither new nor unjustified.
“The officials have already agreed the demands are legitimate, at multiple levels, and simply haven’t followed through,” spokesperson for the Association, Abdul Rauoof said.
He said nearly 18 years into NHM being the major healthcare support in J&K, employees are still doing work that is equal to government employed workers, but not treated equally.
“The work is indistinguishable from our permanent counterparts, minus the pay, the pension and the security,” he said.
In April this year, NHM employees went on strike, but called off the stir only after a day following assurances from the government.
“They told us our demands are genuine, and that these will be addressed within two months. However, five months have passed, and we don’t see any progress,” a representative of NHM employees told Greater Kashmir. “We are not left with any option but to strike” he said.
The demands of the association include a time-bound process for regularisation and long-term job security of eligible NHM employees.
They have also demanded “Equal pay for equal work”, in addition to the extension of 7th Pay Commission benefits to eligible NHM staff. Furthermore, a financial assistance of Rs 30 lakh to the family of an NHM employee who dies in service also features in the list of demands.
