CHENNAI: Around 700 city corporation staff nurses and National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) malaria workers, led by Perunagara Chennai Managaratchi Malaria Mattrum Sugadharathurai Thozhilalargal Sangam, in coordination with AITUC, staged a hunger strike on Tuesday, demanding wage revision and job regularisation. The protest saw participation of workers across all 15 zones of the city.
The workers pointed out that despite the Labour Welfare and Skill Development department issuing a G.O. in June 2023 mandating wage revision for employees of local bodies, only unskilled workers under Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) received pay hike.
Currently, staff nurses are paid Rs 18,000 per month, ANMs Rs 14,000, pharmacists Rs 15,000, lab technicians Rs 13,000, NHM data entry operators Rs 12,500, all of which are below the assured minimum wages, they alleged.
A staff nurse from the corporation-run primary health centre told TNIE, “While job regularisation was announced for 1,000 nurses under the DPH, those working under the GCC were excluded, even though we are working tirelessly amid continued unfilled vacancies. Even we worked during Covid-19,” she said.