Tamil Nadu Nurses set for major protest over unmet demands

Chennai: Nurses under the Tamil Nadu Nurses Empowerment Association are set to launch a four-month-long protest campaign, calling attention to critical issues affecting government nursing professionals across the state.

This follows a recent demonstration in Chennai, where around 250 nurses gathered to urge the state government to address their demands.

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that around 250 nurses from the Tamil Nadu Nurses Empowerment Association staged a demonstration in Chennai, urging the State government to fulfil long-pending demands for job regularisation, fair wages, and better service conditions.

Also Read:TN Nurses Protest Demanding Job Regularisation and Equal Pay

The protests will begin today with a “Meet the People” campaign running from September 24 to 30. As per the news reports, their key demands include stopping low-paid contractual appointments in the Tamil Nadu government medical services, fulfilling the DMK’s election promise to regularise nurses recruited through the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) on consolidated pay, ensuring equal pay for equal work in line with a High Court ruling, and withdrawing the government’s appeal against that verdict.

In a statement, the association said Tamil Nadu, with a population of over eight crore, has only 30,000 nurses working at government hospitals. Among them, 17,000 are permanent and 13,000 are on contract. Contract nurses perform the same duties as permanent ones, but the latter receive a salary of ₹55,000 per month, while the former are paid ₹18,000 per month, which was raised from ₹7,700 after six years of protests. They urged the government to regularise contract nurses and provide time-scale payment. The DMK had promised in its election manifesto to abolish contract appointments of nurses, regularise, and fill all vacant posts. But in four-and-a-half years, only 3,000 out of 9,000 nurses were regularised. They are working on a contract basis on low pay for eight years, the association said, reports the Hindu.

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The association also raised concerns over the hiring of contract nurses in newly opened facilities like the Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital and the upgraded Government Hospital in Periyar Nagar, instead of offering permanent posts.

Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many nurses were recruited through the Medical Recruitment Board (MRB) on an emergency basis. However, these nurses were terminated post-pandemic, and despite High Court orders for their reinstatement, 720 nurses are still awaiting their appointments.

To press their demands, the association will conduct a membership drive among nurses from October 1 to 10. On October 14, nurses will wear demand badges and send letters to the Chief Minister. This will be followed by evening protests in district headquarters on October 28, larger demonstrations on November 30, and a hunger strike on December 18. If the government fails to address their concerns, a major protest is planned in Chennai in January or February.

The TNNEA also plans to meet with Ministers, Members of the Legislative Assembly, and leaders of ruling alliance parties during the upcoming Assembly session to seek support for their cause.