NHM Strike Enters Second Day Across J&K

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- The 72-hour strike by National Health Mission (NHM) employees continued across Jammu and Kashmir for the second consecutive day on Thursday, with workers staging protests at district, block and field-level health establishments over their long-pending demands.

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The strike, called by the UT-level Joint Coordination Committee of NHM employees, has brought together workers associated with various NHM programmes, including the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), across both divisions of the Union Territory.

Reports from different parts of J&K indicated participation of employees at multiple health institutions and administrative units.

The employees are demanding revision of their remuneration on the lines of NHM workers in other states, besides a comprehensive policy for job security and protection of their long-term service interests.

They are also seeking implementation of Employees' Provident Fund (EPF), Employees' State Insurance (ESI), insurance coverage and post-retirement financial support.

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The employees said they had been working for years under NHM but continued to face uncertainty over their employment status and social security benefits.

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“We have remained on the frontline of healthcare delivery for years, but our wages, employment status and future security continue to remain uncertain. We want a policy-based solution rather than repeated assurances,” a protesting employee said.

Another employee said the agitation was not merely about an increase in salary but about securing basic service and social-security rights.

“Many of us have given years of our lives to the Health Department. We are demanding a fair remuneration structure, job security and benefits that can provide some financial protection to our families,” the employee said.

The Joint Coordination Committee announced the 72-hour strike following its September 5 meeting, after the expiry of an ultimatum to the government without what employees described as a concrete or satisfactory response.

The employees said the latest agitation was preceded by repeated representations, meetings and assurances, but these had failed to produce a comprehensive policy addressing their concerns.

NHM employees had also observed a 48-hour strike earlier this year over similar demands.

The employees said the latest strike was undertaken only after other avenues of dialogue failed to yield a concrete resolution.

They appealed to the administration to initiate meaningful negotiations and resolve their demands through a time-bound mechanism.

“We do not want confrontation with the government. We want a written and sustainable solution to the issues that have remained pending for years. If our concerns are addressed seriously, there will be no reason to continue the agitation,” another protesting employee said. (KNO)

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