Our Correspondent
Kohima Oct. 25 (EMN): The state’s National Health Mission Employee Association Nagaland (NEAN) joined their counterparts all across the country in observing a nation-wide strike called by their parent body at the directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Kohima.
Around 200 representatives from the districts and directorate of the state participated in the strike to demand equal salaries, basic benefits and implementation of HR policy at par with that of permanent employees as per guidelines laid down by the government of India for NHM contractual employees.
Talking with media persons at the sideline of the protest, Dr. Shasinlo, president of NEAN, said the state unit also participated in the strike to demand their rights to equal basic pay to NHM contractual employees with the permanent medical employees so as to provide social and financial security to NHM employees.
He also said that the association will press the government of the day for a comprehensive regularisation policy to be framed basing on the principle of equality not only in grade of pay but also in grant of leave in par with the regular appointees. He also added that the state association will fight until a fair, transparent and rational HR policy is adopted and implemented for the welfare of the NHM employees.
Making known of their displeasure of the ‘step-motherly treatment’ to NHM contractual workers, one of the members said that they are being treated as 'substitutes' for regular staff when their service should be taken as being ‘additional and supplementary for regular employees.’
Delving on the point of disparity in scale of pay, Kewetso Kenye, general secretary of NEAN said there was a significant difference in pay between the contractual and the regular employees.
"When the state of Haryana could pay equal salary to NHM contractual employees with the regular staff as directed by the Supreme Court and in accordance to the Contract Workers Act, why couldn't our state government follow suit when the state share for allocation of salary was only 10% as compared to 60% for Haryana from the state exchequer," he added.
