AIIMS director appeals to nurses to end strike, assures pay hike resolution

Randeep Guleria says most of the union's 23 demands had been met, save perceived anomaly on initial pay under sixth pay commission, adding that govt has agreed to view this sympathetically

All India Institute of Medical Sciences director Dr Randeep Guleria on Monday appealed to the nursing union of the hospital to call off their strike and help through the pandemic assuring them that whatever issues they will be resolved amicably including their demand for a pay hike. 

“I appeal to all the nurses, all the nursing officers, not to go on strike, and not to make us feel embarrassed about the dignity that we have as far as the nurses are concerned,” he said.

Guleria said that the nurses union had put in 23 demands and most of them had been met. However, one demand on a perceived anomaly about the fixation of initial pay under the sixth pay commission has remained unmet. Guleria said the government has agreed to view this sympathetically as a fresh demand and asked the Department of Expenditure to consider it.  

 

"It however, seems inappropriate, that when a country is fighting a pandemic, when we are fighting for our near and dear ones, to save lives...And we know that we need to work only for a few more months, and the vaccine may actually provide a solution. Unfortunately at this point in time, the nurses union has gone under strike," Guleria said in a video message.

The AIIMS nurses union in a letter to the director said no solid solution had been taken by the hospital administration which had turned down their demand related to the 6th central pay commission anomaly. “Adding to this it’s shock (sic) to know that AIIMS administration decided to recruit nursing officers on contractual basis immediately which is against our strike demands,” the letter said. 

The union went on strike from the afternoon of December 14. The notice for the strike was given a month ago on November 13. 

The AIIMS Delhi chief said that the year 2020 has been declared as the year of nurse and midwife as the world celebrates the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale. “Florence Nightingale is remembered for her work during the Crimean War. Today, in another war a real nurse will never abandon her patient.