ESIC Sanathnagar nurses serve 14-day strike notice over workplace grievances
Strike.
Hyderabad- Alleging administrative harassment, denial of basic welfare amenities, and poor working conditions, the nursing staff of the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College and Hospital, Sanathnagar, served a 14-day strike notice to the Director General of ESIC on Tuesday.
The nurses also highlighted the lack of essential civic amenities at the hospital, including a shortage of medical and surgical equipment, inadequate supply of drinking water, and a lack of proper washroom facilities for patients. They warned that if their grievances were not resolved within the notice period, they would launch an indefinite strike.
According to the TNIE news report, the Telangana ESIC Nursing Officers Union submitted a detailed memorandum to the Director General of ESIC through the Dean of the medical college, regarding a series of grievances.
In the memorandum, the union has alleged that repeated representations regarding service conditions, staff welfare, and workplace grievances have failed to elicit corrective action. It further claimed that nursing personnel have lost confidence in the current nursing administration and have accused certain senior officials of intimidation, making arbitrary administrative decisions, and interfering with trade union activities.
The union also alleged that the hospital management had issued memoranda to dozens of Assistant Nursing Superintendents and senior nursing officers. The union claims that explanations were repeatedly sought from many employees over trivial matters.
Further, alleging that a nursing officer was subjected to a breath analyser test without permission, the union demanded an impartial inquiry into the incident.
In addition to demanding the transfer of the accused officials, the union also called for the withdrawal of the memorandum, the restoration of the nursing administrative hierarchy, the settlement of pending promotions and allowances, and the provision of basic amenities for nurses, such as lounges, rest rooms, changing rooms, and clean washrooms.
Speaking to TNIE, K Prakash Babu, General Secretary of the ESIC Nursing Officers Union in Telangana, said that if no satisfactory written response was received within 14 days, the union would launch phased protests, including wearing black badges, demonstrations, mass casual leave, and, if necessary, an indefinite strike.
