Jabalpur: Principal bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The High Court on Wednesday termed staff nurses strike ‘illegal’ and directed them to report to work from July 8. The court also instructed state government to constitute a high-level committee to resolve the demands of nurses within a month.

The staff nurses across the state are on strike since June 30 to press for their 10-point charter of demands. They have been demanding a revised pay scale, to implement pension schemes, appoint male nurses in medical colleges, give compensatory appointments of family members of nurses who died of Covid-19.

While hearing a petition filed by Nagarik Upbhokta Manch, the bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Mohammed Rafiq directed nurses’ association to return to work from July 8.

The state government had declared nurses' strike illegal on June 28 and asked them to join duties but nurses across the state again went on strike from June 30.

While hearing the petition on July 5, the division bench comprising Chief Justice Mohammed Rafiq had instructed state president of Madhya Pradesh Nurses Association Rekha Parmar to appear in court in person. On Wednesday, the court heard Rekha Parmar and directed her to withdraw strike.