AIIMS nurses call off strike after Delhi high court directs them to rejoin work

"We have been asked to appear in court at 10 am on Wednesday. We will do so and based on the decision of the high court, we will chalk our future course of action," a representative of the union told HT.

The AIIMS Nurses' Union on Tuesday decided to call off its indefinite strike hours after the Delhi High Court directed it to ensure that its members immediately rejoin work and said that the nurses “must place the interest of patients above and beyond” their dispute with the administration.

Members of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Nursing Union raise slogans as a part of an indefinite strike against the AIIMS administration.  (ANI )

"As law-abiding citizens of this country, we are accepting the decision of the honourable court and calling off our strike. We have been asked to appear in court at 10 am on Wednesday. We will do so and based on the decision of the court, we will chalk our future course of action," a representative of the union told HT.

In response to the suspension of the president of AIIMS Nurses' Union, Harish Kajila, the nursing staff of the hospital on Tuesday had gone on an indefinite strike. The nurses union has demanded the immediate revocation of Kajla's suspension.

Earlier in the day, Justice Yashwant Varma, dealing with the petition by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), observed that while the rights of the union to espouse the cause of its members stands duly recognised, it should must bear in mind the “deleterious impact” that the call to strike would have medical institution as well as patients awaiting emergency surgery and care.

The AIIMS through advocate Satya Ranjan Swain has submitted that the strike is not in the public interest and the said strike is also illegal given the fact that the grievances of the respondent are unjustified, and after consideration, the AIIMS management has suspended the president of the respondent.

The AIIMS is at the forefront of the battle against Covid-19 and is regularly treating Covid patients in addition to its general patient load. The strike called by the respondent gravely hampers the ability of the Petitioner to fulfil its duties, said the AIIMS plea.

In a letter addressed to the AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria, the Union wrote, "In response to your unilateral decision to suspend Harish Kajila, president of AllMS Nurses Union, without even citing proper reasons, the union called an emergency executive meeting and took the decision to go on indefinite strike from 8 AM on April 26 demanding immediate revocation of suspension of Harish Kumar Kajla and stopping of all kinds of retaliative measures against union executives and Union members of main operation theatre (OT)."

"The union has always been receptive and open to expressing our genuine concerns and version throughout this issue. But unfortunately, we were neither called, nor contacted via any communication which forced us to go on an indefinite strike to safeguard the basic rights of our members. We would like to remind you that the undemocratic AllMS administration will be solely responsible for the consequences if any," the letter read.

On April 23, AIIMS witnessed a dispute between Kajila and the Resident Doctors' Association. The nursing staff were protesting over the lack of manpower and late duty hours in the main operation theatre.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)