BENGALURU: In continuation to the protest that happened on July 30 by nursing officers of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, the teaching staff of the college also joined them for a brief candlelight protest, on Monday evening over the New Pension Scheme (NPS).
"BMCRI has deducted an amount from our salary every month between 2006 to 2012 for NPS but it has not given it to the NPS trust. This 10 percent deduction and a matching contribution is made from the employer, as per the rules," said BMCRI teachers association secretary Dr Ravi Lingapa, who took part in the protest which took place between 7 and 7:30 pm.
While they have not given the government an ultimatum yet, the protest may be of a bigger scale in the future, and they may consider boycotting COVID duties in the future, if their demands are not met. Their demands apply to 32 government medical college teaching and non-teaching staff.
Dr Lingappa added that several people have retired without benefits and the 7th AICTE pay scale has not been implemented for teaching staff under the medical education department.
BMCRI Nursing Officers Association president Santosh Kumar said that 14 employees have expired without any benefits. The New Indian Express previously reported, that nursing officers demanded access to Karnataka Government Insurance Department (KGID) under which the Jyothi Sanjeevani Scheme provides for cashless treatment of 449 identified surgeries in government and private hospitals, for state government employees and their dependents.
They also demanded for a risk allowance as they are frontline workers on COVID-19 duty. They want a 50 percent hike in basic pay as well. While these nurses are under the Medical Education department, their grouse is also that their counterparts in the Health and Family Welfare department are entitled to more benefits.