Srinagar, Sep 11: The agitation by National Health Mission (NHM) employees continued across Jammu and Kashmir for the third consecutive day on Friday, with the employees deciding to extend their ongoing 72-hour strike by another 72 hours from September 12, citing failure of the government to take concrete and time-bound action on their long-pending demands.
The decision was taken by the Jammu & Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association (JKNHMEA) UT-Level Coordination Committee, which said the extension was necessary as the issues raised by NHM employees had remained unresolved despite repeated representations, meetings and assurances from the authorities.
According to details obtained, the employees associated with different NHM programmes and health services continued their peaceful protest at district, block and field-level establishments across both Jammu and Kashmir divisions.
The protesting workforce includes employees working under various NHM programmes, including the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), who have been seeking a comprehensive policy addressing their remuneration, employment security and social-security concerns.
The Association said thousands of NHM employees have served the public healthcare system under contractual arrangements for nearly 18 years, often performing responsibilities comparable to those of regular employees, but without a clear and sustainable framework governing their long-term service conditions.
Among the major demands are revision and enhancement of salaries and remuneration, a comprehensive policy for job security, retirement benefits and social-security measures, besides resolution of other long-pending service-related issues through a transparent and time-bound mechanism.
The employees are also seeking a dignified and workable retirement benefit or “Golden Handshake” policy for those who complete their service, along with welfare measures that can provide financial protection after retirement.
A protesting employee said the prolonged contractual nature of their employment had created uncertainty among thousands of workers despite their years of service.
“We have served the health sector for years and have performed our duties in hospitals, health centres and at the field level. Our demand is not only about salary enhancement; we want a clear policy that gives us job security, social protection and dignity after years of service,” the employee said.
Another employee said NHM workers had repeatedly approached the government hoping for a permanent solution but were yet to see a concrete policy decision.
“We have received assurances at different stages, but assurances alone cannot resolve the uncertainty faced by employees and their families. We want a written, time-bound and sustainable mechanism through which these issues are finally settled,” the employee said.
The Association maintained that NHM employees have remained an important component of healthcare delivery in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly during public-health emergencies, disease-control programmes and other situations requiring sustained manpower at hospitals, health centres and field institutions.
The employees said their agitation should not be viewed as being against the healthcare system or the public, asserting that their objective was to secure a sustainable future for the workforce while ensuring that the government addresses their concerns through dialogue.
The UT-Level Coordination Committee said the latest agitation followed the expiry of an ultimatum issued to the government after its September 5 meeting. It maintained that the decision to extend the strike was taken only after repeated representations and dialogue failed to result in a concrete roadmap.
The Association also pointed out that NHM employees had earlier resorted to a 48-hour strike over similar demands, but said the absence of a comprehensive resolution had compelled them to resume the agitation.
The employees have urged the government to convene a high-level meeting with their representatives and initiate a time-bound process for resolving their demands.
“We do not want confrontation. We want the government to sit with us and address the issues through a definite policy decision. If a genuine and time-bound process is initiated, we are ready for dialogue,” another protesting employee said.
The Committee said the extension of the strike would commence from September 12 and reiterated that the protest was aimed at seeking “justice, dignity, job security and a sustainable future” for NHM employees.
The Association has appealed to the government to convert the concerns already acknowledged at different levels into actual policy measures, saying that further assurances without a definite roadmap would not address the problems confronting the workforce.
The Committee said it remained open to dialogue and hoped the government would initiate meaningful negotiations at the earliest to bring the prolonged agitation to an end through a concrete and time-bound resolution—(KNO)
