Nurses call off strike after marathon talks

Marathon negotiations between the Union health ministry and the nurses’ federation bore fruit late on Saturday, with the nurses calling off their strike.

In a written undertaking to the Union health ministry, the nurses decided to resume work after calling off their strike that started on Friday, which paralysed health services at all major government hospitals.

“The nurses, in their undertaking given to the ministry, have stated that they will resume work and hence called off the strike,” said a senior official in the health ministry.

Around 300 nurses that were detained on Friday by the Delhi police for obstructing work were freed late the same day after they gave in writing that they would resume work.

On Saturday, the leaders of nurses’ federation wished to negotiate with the health ministry officials. The meeting that started at 1 in the afternoon ended at 9.30 pm, with the nurses calling off their strike.

“They have agreed to present their case before the committee set up by the finance ministry on September 12 now,” added the official.

The nurses have been agitating against the recommendations of the 7th pay commission, demanding revision in their pay scale and hike in allowances, and had warned they go on an indefinite strike if their demands were not met.

Earlier, they had a series of discussions with the union health minister J.P. Nadda and union health secretary C.K. Mishra.

“The Union health minister has taken up their issue of pay hike and allowances with the finance ministry, after which it was decided that they be allowed to present their case before the committee. We have done whatever we could,” the health ministry official further said.

Saying that the 7th pay commission has given them a raw deal, the nurses have been demanding better allowances, pay hike and assured career progression.

The unions have been protesting since December 2015, demanding a hike in pay grade, nursing allowance, risk allowance and night-duty allowance. Thousands of nurses working in government hospitals had participated in a 16-day programme of protest actions in front of the Parliament. This paralysed health services to an extent that many routine surgeries had to be postponed in Delhi.