Chandigarh nurses protest for higher salaries

Nurses from various government hospitals of Chandigarh, under the banner of Joint Action Nurses Committee Punjab and UT Chandigarh, held a candlelight march on Sunday to demand salary hikes as per the Sixth Pay Commission

Nurses from various government hospitals of Chandigarh, under the banner of Joint Action Nurses Committee Punjab and UT Chandigarh, held a candlelight march on Sunday to demand salary hikes as per the Sixth Pay Commission.

Nurses from various government hospitals of Chandigarh holding a protest against the Punjab government at the Sector-17 Plaza in Chandigarh on Sunday. (HT Photo)

While marching from Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, to the Sector-17 Plaza, the protesters raised slogans against the Punjab government, as its rules are implemented for Chandigarh nurses as well.

“The pay commission should be implemented from 2006. The grade pay of nurses in other states is ₹4,600, while the Punjab government has fixed it at ₹3,200. Similarly, for new joinees, the salary, which is ₹44,900 in other states, is ₹29,200 in Punjab. Nurses, who should come in Group B, have been brought to Group D by the Punjab government,” said Parminder Kaur, president, Nurses Association of GMSH-16.

She added that nurses had been designated as nursing officers in many states of the country and Chandigarh, but the Punjab Government had not issued any notification in this regard.

Dabkesh Kumar, convener, Joint Action Nurses Committee Punjab and UT Chandigarh, said, if the Punjab government did not act on these demands, the nurses will be forced to take more drastic steps.