Tarn Taran, May 10

Employees working under the National Health Mission (NHM) have decided to continue the indefinite strike ignoring the warning of Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu.

The employees are on an indefinite strike since May 5 and Sidhu warned them to end it by May 9 and join their duties. He also mentioned that the employees ignoring the appeal of the government would be terminated with immediate effect and an action would also be taken against them.

The district unit of the NHM employees refused to relent and staged a dharna outside the Civil Surgeon’s office on Monday.

The strike has been badly affecting the Covid-19 work, including that of sampling and vaccination. The medical officer, staff nurses and the ministerial staff are also strike.

Sukhbir Kaur, district president of the employees, Sohawa Singh, Neeru Mannan, leaders, condemned the warning of Balbir Singh Sidhu and decided to continue with their strike.

The employees had been demanding the regularisation of their services with full pay scales. Most of the employees have been working in the department for the past over 10 years. — OC