Salary hike demand: NHM employees threaten to go on strike in Punjab from April 29

Health care services likely to be hit if 13,400 NHM employees working in state suspend work

The NHM (National Health Mission) Employees Union, Punjab, on Friday threatened to go on strike from April 19 if the state government does not announce an immediate hike in their salaries.

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The demand came a day after the government increased salaries of only 100 NHM employees, who are working under Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), as an appreciation for their work amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

There are 13,400 other NHM employees, including doctors, staff nurses and ANMs, working in the state.

Union state president Amarjeet Singh said, “Doctors, staff nurses, ANMs, community health workers, pharmacists and asha workers of NHM are risking their lives every day. Most of them are working on meager salaries. However, the government hiked salaries of only those who are working under IDSP.”

“We are demanding immediate hike in salaries of all NHM employees. On Monday and Tuesday, we will wear black badges to show our resistance. We will go on strike from Wednesday if the government fails to meet our demand,” he said.