Fatehgarh Sahib, 31 October
The Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government, which had promised to regularise contract health workers under the National Health Mission (NHM) – recruited through proper channels and serving on contract for the past 15-20 years – now appears to be running away from its commitments in the intoxication of power. Like previous regimes, the current administration has, even after four years, adopted a policy of mere lip service and evasion on the legitimate demands of NHM employees. No clear affirmative response has yet been given to key financial demands such as equal qualification-equal work-equal pay and gratuity.
Notably, in stark contrast to earlier governments, the Bhagwant Mann regime has not announced even a single penny for NHM contract health workers in four years, sparking widespread resentment among them.
As a result, the NHM Employees Union Punjab has announced that it will express its anger by distributing pamphlets against the Punjab government and encircling it during the Tarn Taran by-election on November 6.
Briefing the press, union leaders Harpal Singh Sodhi, Amarjit Singh, Dr Navjot Singh, Dr Jatinder Singh, Dr Neel Kamal, Simranjit Kaur, Gaurav Kumar, and Jasnjot Singh revealed that despite nearly 30-35 meetings over the past two years on demands like salary hikes for meager wages and regularisation, no solution has emerged. Meetings yielded nothing beyond empty assurances.
watch….NHM Workers Mobilize for Gherao Ahead of Taran Taran By-Election
They stated: “To safeguard our future and existence, the NHM Employees Union will hold a state-level protest rally in Tarn Taran on November 6, where contract workers will publicly condemn Bhagwant Mann’s AAP government.” Around 9,000 NHM contract employees from across Punjab are expected to participate.
The employees warned in clear terms: “If the government does not urgently resolve our legitimate financial demands on a priority basis, the NHM Union will corner the government at every turn.”
Present on the occasion were Dr Kshitij Seema, Vicky Verma, Hardeep Singh, Jasvir Singh, Amit Kumar, Jagjit Singh, Sandeep Singh, Anil Kumar, Sukhvinder Singh, Manpreet Kaur, Ravinder Kaur, Narinder Kaur, Gurdeep Kaur, Tejinder Kaur, Amanpreet Kaur, Satnam Kaur, Mandeep Kaur, Jashandeep Kaur, and other leaders.
