Govt invokes ESMA as nurses go on strike

Meanwhile,three nursing staff,including Hiten Patel,president of the newly registered UN Mehta Heart Institute Nursing Association,were put under suspension.

Hiten told The Indian Express that they have been demanding leave benefits,hike in salary,mediclaim,fixed working hours,dearness allowance and permanent jobs for the last nine months,but in vain. The medical and technical staff are getting salaries as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission,while the nurses are getting salaries at rates fixed by the fourth panel,which is gross injustice,he said.

“The authorities became angry when we got the association registered on August 5,” said Hiten,adding that three office-bearers of the association were suspended on August 6.

Hiten said the association had opposed the appointment of nurses on a contractual basis. The association had also served notices to the institute and the police informing them of their decision to go on a five-day strike from Monday. Still the police picked them up from the park outside the institute and the state government invoked ESMA,he said.

Hiten added that he had asked 25 nurses not to join the strike,but take care of the critical patients. He refuted suggestions that he had coerced the nurses to join the strike. “You cannot force 200 people to join a strike against their wishes,” said Hiten.

Amrish Patel of the Gujarat Federation of Trade Unions,to which the nursing association is affiliated,described the enforcement of ESMA as a dictatorial measure. ESMA has never been invoked within the first day of any strike,he said.

Institute Director Dr R K Patel said he put the three office-bearers under suspension,as they had forced other nursing staff to join the strike.

He said he had to requisition nursing staff from other departments to continue with the treatment of patients in the cardiology department.

He added that he had asked the nurses to join duty and then negotiate their demands. The institute had recently raised the salary by 3 per cent but had made clear that the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations will not be enforced,he said.

He also refused to withdraw the suspension order against the three office-bearers.