Responding to the ongoing protest by the National Health Mission (NHM) Insourced Workers’ Association, the State government has offered a 15% hike in remuneration for employees with more than 10 years of service. The hike will be applicable with effect from April 1.
According to a Government Order issued on Saturday, the State has offered the hike to those with a monthly basic remuneration of less than ₹20,000 at the time of joining. The 15% hike will be a one-time increase over existing remuneration. For NHM contractual specialists, a 5% one-time increase will be given for those with three to five years of service, 10% for those with five to 10 years of service, and 15% for those with more than 10 years of service, the order stated.
Offer rejected
However, the protesting employees have rejected the offer and are firm on their demand for regularisation. “This one-time hike will not even translate into ₹5,000 per employee. Our salaries are abysmally low and it is impossible to make ends meet,” said Padma Rekha S., a social worker working under the District Mental Health Programme (DHMP) in Ramanagara.
The strike, which has entered the 21st day, has hit all national health programmes in Karnataka, including routine immunisation, tobacco control, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme, DMHP, and even AYUSH services.
Those not included
Meanwhile, outsourced NHM contract workers, under the banner of the Karnataka State Health and Medical Education Department Contractual and Outsource Employees’ Association, are upset that the hike in remuneration does not include them. The employees, who protested from February 6 to 10, have been demanding equal pay for equal work.
