Strike to continue until bending salaries are cleared
Newmai News Network
Imphal | October 21
Nurses of Manipur Family Welfare department, who are yet to get salaries for four consecutive months, commenced their cease-work strike on Thursday. The nurses stayed away from the COVID-19 vaccination programme apart from suspension of routine immunization across the state. The striking nurses also locked the immunization section of the Family Welfare department. According to the striking nurses, their monthly salaries were not paid for the last four months, starting from July.
Nurses resorted to the cease-work strike after “no positive response” came from the concerned authority despite the October 20 deadline they set to disburse the pending salaries.
Talking to reporters at the office complex of the Family Welfare department, Imphal where they locked the immunization section, the nurses said that besides routine duty of immunization, they are participating in the COVID-19 vaccination drive.
Nameirakpam Mina, a striking nurse, said that they were compelled to resort to the cease-work strike as they failed to get a positive response. She also said that despite the deadline set by them, the “concerned authority” said nothing about the clearance of their pending salaries. She also stated that on earlier occasions, they were not paid regularly and the concerned authority used to clear the salaries only after they agitated.
Besides salaries, they were deprived of arrears, increments etc., she said, and asked how they can continue to discharge their duties without getting their dues.
Mina said that they are discharging their duties non-stop amid the COVID-19 crisis, leaving behind the fear of exposure to the virus, abiding orders of the “higher authorities”. The nurse also drew the attention of the state chief minister who is also in-charge of the department to intervene and redress their grievances.
They will continue the cease-work strike until their salaries are cleared, she asserted.
The strike of the nurses was amid the intensified COVID-19 campaign of the state government in the state. As a part of the campaign, Chief Minister N Biren Singh flagged off COVID Vaccination Express for Imphal East district from Chief Minister's Secretariat, Imphal today. A total of 15 vehicles equipped with necessary equipment, vaccines and medical personnel will travel to nook and corner of the district to vaccinate people at their doorsteps.
