Vij asks NHM staff to call off strike

Tribune News Service

Ambala, November 4

Members of the National Health Mission Employees’ Association today met Health Minister Anil Vij at his residence here in support of their demands. However, the minister asked the members to withdraw their strike first and then the government would consider their demands.

State association president Surender Gautam said: “We want to discuss the issue with the minister but he asked us to call off the strike first and then he will talk. We were not in favour of the strike. We have been trying to meet the minister for nearly a year, but he didn’t talk to us. Now, he has put conditions before initiating the talks.”

“Over 1,500 employees have been terminated so far. The situation will not return to normalcy like this. Now, the association will discuss and take a further decision,” he added.

VIJ said: “The employees met me today and I have asked them to call off their strike first and then the government will sympathetically consider their demands.”

Sonepat: National Health Mission (NHM) employees supported by activists of other trade unions and associations today took out a march here and submitted a memorandum of demands addressed to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Deputy Commissioner’s office here.

SN Solanki of CITU and Anand Sharma of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh alleged that the state government was not sympathetic towards the legitimate demands of the NHM employees. “Instead of talking to the employees, the government had resorted to terminating their services,” they said.

Dr JS Punia, Civil Surgeon, Sonepat, said demands of the employees were being discussed at a meeting of the senior officials of the department. —OC