Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 11

A day after the state government terminated services of around 1,400 striking contractual health employees, most of them rejoined their duties.

Around 3,000 employees working under the National Health Mission (NHM) remained on strike for the past one week as they were demanding regularisation of services. Those who have been terminated include ANMs, nurses, data entry operators, Ayurvedic medical officers, community health officers, multipurpose health workers, etc.

AAP: Move to sack staff dictatorial

• AAP MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke said the dismissal of the striking NHM employees was a dictatorial move
• She said the CM had in the last Assembly polls promised that if the Congress came to power, all employees in government agencies on contract would be regularised
• “But today, when the NHM employees are demanding regularisation and equal pay for equal work, the government has adopted a dictatorial approach,” she added

The state’s health department officials confirmed that after the termination orders and the government’s decision to recruit volunteer staff, the employees rejoined their duties on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) condemned the dismissal of the striking employees, saying CM Capt Amarinder Singh and Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu adopted a dictatorial attitude by suppressing their rights.

In a statement today, AAP MLA and Deputy Leader of Opposition Sarvjit Kaur Manuke said the employees working in government departments, boards, corporations and other institutions had the right to protest and strike for their demands. She said the NHM employees had gone on strike to stress the government to fulfil their demands.

Manuke said the CM had in the last Assembly elections promised that if the Congress came to power, all employees working in government agencies on contract would be regularised. “But today, when the NHM employees are demanding regularisation and equal pay for equal work, the government has adopted a dictatorial approach,” she added.

Manuke said the NHM employees had been at the forefront of the Covid pandemic since last year and these employees were still performing their duties.

The AAP leader further said Sidhu had always threatened the NHM employees instead of solving their problems and fulfilling their demands. “It would have been better if the Health Minister and the CM had talked to these employees and agreed to their demands to end the strike and use their services in the treatment of Covid victims,” Manuke said.