Equal Pay, Equal Rights: Assam NHM Workers Begin Statewide Strike

Guwahati: A large group of protestors gathered in different parts of the state, including Barpeta, Bongaigaon, and Tezpur. The members of the National Health Mission (NHM) across Assam have declared a three-day ‘work boycott and sit-in strike’, starting from Monday, which will continue till November 5. The main aim of the demonstration is the call for equal pay and permanent employment benefits.

Hundreds of NHM workers expressed huge dissatisfaction with the government’s recurring failure to fulfil the previous promised commitments. The protestors claimed that the former Health Minister and now CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had reneged on his promises. The members have claimed that their remonstration would not be stopped until the government ensured ‘equal pay for equal work’ and approved all pending demands.

Furthermore, The protest has been overseen jointly by the directive of the All Assam National Health Mission Employees’ Association, Assam, and the All Assam Health and Technical Welfare Association.

Moreover, the NMH workers are holding the protest to press for the achievement of five major demands. Their demands include providing a proper pay scale for all of the NMH personnel, equal pay for equal labourand equal rights to all the staff of the mission. The protesters have also been demanding gratuity, pension and the death-related benefits on par with normal state government. They also demanded to act promptly on the following if the vacant posts in the health department.

Besides, the community has urged that in case an employee dies on the job, one eligible family member should be selected in place of the deceased. Also, they state that the family of the dead employee should be provided with full salary benefits until the employee reaches the national retirement age of sixty.

The community also urged the government to bring all NHM employees under the Social Security Act and give them coverage under either EPF or CPF. The NHM members have warned of stronger protests in the following days, stating that, “If the administration continues to disregard our grievances, that agitation shall continue.”

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