Contractual health workers in Karnataka withdraw strike following Minister’s assurance

They have been demanding equal pay for equal work and job security

Contractual and outsourced health workers appointed under the National Health Mission protesting at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Thursday. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

Following an assurance by Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar that their demands will be considered soon, contractual and outsourced health workers appointed under the National Health Mission (NHM) withdrew their strike late on Thursday night.

Demanding job security and equal pay for equal work, thousands of contractual workers under the banner of the Karnataka State Health and Medical Education Department Contractual and Outsource Employees Association (KSHCOEA) staged a daylong demonstration at Freedom Park on Thursday.

Dr. Sudhakar, who met them at the protest venue, said the government would soon revise their compensation by 15% as recommended by the P.N. Srinivasachari committee. Appealing to the workers to withdraw their strike, he said the government would initiate measures to fulfil their other demands, including health insurance coverage.

The department has around 30,000 contractual staff appointed under the NHM. The staff include auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), staff nurses, doctors, lab technicians, and pharmacists. Apart from job security and equal pay for equal work, these workers have been demanding health insurance, medical reimbursement facility, and service weightage in future recruitments.

“The contractual workers are demanding that their wages should be equivalent to that of permanent employees. The Union and State governments have jointly taken up 49 health programmes for a given period of time and the workers have been appointed on contract for these programmes. Hence, it is difficult to regularise their services. However, I assure them that all efforts will be made to increase their wages,” the Minister said.

KSHCOEA president Vishwaradhya H.Y. said their honorary president Ayanur Manjunath had convinced them that he would raise their issue in the next legislature session and also discuss the issue with Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai. “Following this, we have withdrawn our strike temporarily. We will strike work again if our demands are not met at the earliest,” he added.