Srinagar, Sep 15 (KNO): National Health Mission (NHM) employees across Jammu and Kashmir continued their strike for the seventh consecutive day on Tuesday, with the protesters reiterating their demands for pay parity, job security, regularisation and comprehensive social security benefits.
The employees, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), on Monday evening announced the extension of their ongoing agitation by another 72 hours from Tuesday, saying that the decision was taken in view of the continued lack of a concrete and time-bound resolution to their long-pending demands.
Notably, the Jammu & Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association (JKNHMEA) is spearheading the agitation and has urged the government to initiate meaningful dialogue with the employees and address their grievances through a clear and time-bound mechanism.
The protesting employees are seeking pay parity with NHM employees working in other states, a comprehensive policy for job security and regularisation, and social security measures including Employees' Provident Fund (EPF), Employees' State Insurance (ESI), insurance coverage and post-retirement benefits.
The strike has entered its second week and has affected the functioning of several NHM-supported health programmes and services across the Union Territory. As NHM personnel continue to remain away from routine duties, the regular workforce at several health institutions is also facing additional pressure, particularly in areas where NHM employees form an important part of the service delivery system.
Employees said they have been performing duties for years across hospitals, health centres and field-level programmes, but continued to work without adequate employment security or social protection. “We have served the health department for years and have performed our duties in every situation, but our future is still uncertain. We are not asking for anything unreasonable. We want a proper policy that gives us job security and ensures that our years of service are recognised,” a protesting employee said.
Another employee said the demand for pay parity had gained importance because NHM workers in several other states were receiving comparatively better remuneration and employment benefits.
“We are doing similar work and carrying similar responsibilities, but there is a considerable difference in our salaries and benefits. We want the government to look into this disparity and ensure a fair and dignified wage structure for NHM employees in J&K,” he said.
A female employee said job insecurity had remained a major concern among workers, particularly those who had spent several years working under NHM.
“Many employees have completed years of service, but there is still no certainty about what will happen to us in the future. We have families and responsibilities, and we need a policy that provides security instead of keeping us in uncertainty year after year,” she said.
Another protesting employee said social security was equally important for workers who had devoted a significant portion of their careers to the health sector.
“We are demanding basic social security benefits such as EPF, ESI and insurance coverage. After serving for years, an employee should at least have some financial and social protection. These are genuine concerns and should not be left pending indefinitely,” the employee said.
The employees maintained that their protest was peaceful and said they remained sensitive to the difficulties being faced by patients due to the ongoing agitation.
“We understand that healthcare is an essential service and that patients should not suffer. But our demands have remained pending for a long time. We are ready for dialogue at any time, provided the government comes forward with a concrete proposal and a time-bound roadmap,” another employee said.
The association has also urged the authorities to intervene at the earliest, maintaining that prolonged uncertainty was affecting the morale of thousands of NHM workers across Jammu and Kashmir.
Employees said they were hopeful that the government would take the extension of the agitation seriously and initiate negotiations to resolve the matter.
With the strike now continuing for the seventh consecutive day, the employees said they would continue their peaceful agitation while awaiting concrete measures from the government on their demands.
They appealed to the administration to convene talks with their representatives and evolve a comprehensive solution that addresses pay disparity, employment security and social protection, paving the way for the restoration of normal NHM-linked healthcare services across J&K—(KNO)