THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Doctors in government medical college hospitals in the state have decided to boycott all academic duties, pay ward admission, VIP duties, non-Covid meetings and board meets for an indefinite period as part of the standoff with the government over salary dues.They boycotted OP services on Friday as the doctors held a three-hour token strike. The strike also affected elective surgeries and teaching duties.
Kerala Government Medical College Teachers’ Association (KGMCTA) and Kerala Government Postgraduate Medical Teachers Association (KGPMTA) have also decided to intensify the strike in the coming days if their demands are not met. The doctors will also start relay hunger strike from February 5 and indefinite strike from February 9.
The doctors have been at loggerheads with the government over the salary dues since 2016 and for not rectifying the salary anomalies in the entry cadre. They started the strike after the government announced the pay revision and dues payment for other government employees recently.
Though Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac proposed the merger of arrears to the provident fund, the move did not bring cheer to the striking doctors. “The minister is mum about the revision of allowances which form a crucial part of the salary arrears. It is not acceptable as we stand to lose 60 per cent of the benefits due to this,” said state president of KGMCTA Binoy S. According to him, the anomalies in the salary structure of the entry cadre resulted in a shortfall of `11,000 to `18,000 for those joined after 2016.
“The government has delayed the promotion by misinterpreting the court orders and the UGC guidelines,” said state secretary of KGPMTA Jeji G. He also accused the state of not proving any incentive to
promote research.
Salaries due since ‘16
Doctors have been at loggerheads with state over salary dues since 2016 and for not rectifying the salary anomalies in the entry cadre