Nurses under MSNA go on indefinite strike

 

Nurses in Government hospitals across the State, including in Nagpur, have started indefinite strike from Friday, under the banner of The Maharashtra State Nurses Association (MSNA), headquartered in Latur. The protest comes after series of agitations following what they describe as persistent neglect by the State Government regarding their demands. Nearly 1,500 to 2,000 nurses from 46 Government-run hospitals in the State participated in the strike. The nurses are demanding resolving pay discrepancies, 100 per cent permanent recruitment, filling over 50 per cent vacant promotional posts, and approving pending allowances for 40 years, among others.

 

The current unrest stems from the perceived failures of the 7th Pay Commission. While the commission’s recommendations were implemented from January 1, 2016, following the Bakshi Committee’s formation in 2017, significant pay disparities for specific nursing cadres remain. Even the subsequent Phase-II report of the Bakshi Committee in March 2023, and later the Mukesh Khullar Committee, failed to rectify the grievances of Staff Nurses, Sisters-in-charge, and Tutor Nurses. These dedicated professionals feel unjustly overlooked, especially when compared to similar posts that received revised pay scales. Nurses emphasise their indispensable role in healthcare, particularly highlighted during the arduous COVID-19 pandemic when they risked their lives, sacrificing personal commitments to provide direct patient care.

 

As acknowledged by the Prime Minister, they truly are ‘frontline warriors’. Yet, the continued failure to address their fundamental pay concerns has fostered a deep sense of being perpetually neglected within Government corridors. Adding fuel to the fire, the Medical Education Department recently issued a circular on June 6th, reintroducing contractual recruitment for nurses. This decision has ignited fierce condemnation, as the state had previously scrapped a similar contractual hiring policy in May 2022 after a widespread 10-day indefinite strike by nurses across the state. At that time, the government had reportedly assured the MSNA of commencing permanent recruitment processes. The MSNA had staged a sit-in and demonstration at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, on July 15 and July 16. This was followed by a one-day statewide strike on July 17.

 

The indefinite statewide strike has commenced as their demands have not been met. Shahzad Baba Khan, a representative of MSNA, said the strike was inevitable. “We have given a delegation to the Chief Minister, stating all our demands clearly. But until our demands are fulfilled, we have no option but to go on an indefinite strike,” he said. As the strike enters its indefinite phase, questions remain over how long hospitals can sustain operations with temporary support staff, while patients continue to bear the brunt of the deadlock.