Members of the All-India Government Nurses Federation will launch a relay hunger strike from Friday, demanding a hike in their salaries and other allowances.
Nurses across the country are also expected to go on a mass casual leave on February 26. The protest will go on till February 27.
“We will protest against retrograde recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission. We demand that the entry pay grade for staff nurses should be enhanced to Rs 5,400 from the existing Rs 4,600. Also, the nursing allowance should be enhanced by Rs 7,800 in the 7th Central Pay Commission. Risk allowance and night duty allowances should be given to all nurses as it is given to all other government employees. Operation theatre or ICU allowance should continue as earlier,” the Federation’s Secretary General GK Khurana said.
The members have also demanded that railway nurses be given eight days of off in a month like all other nurses, along with full pay during child care leave. “We deal with the deadly infections daily, but we are not provided enough risk allowances. If the demands are not met, we will go on an indefinite strike from March 15,” Khurana said.