CHENNAI: Over 200 members of the Tamil Nadu Nurses Development Association who launched a hunger strike, pressing for various demands including job regularisation, were detained after the talks between the representatives and health secretary failed on Thursday. The association termed the government’s response to their demands “unsatisfactory”.
Led by association state president G Sasikala, the nurses refused to call off their stir despite mounting pressure from authorities. They were eventually bundled into police buses and shifted to a nearby marriage hall. Though officials said the protesters would be released later in the evening, the association maintained that it would resume the agitation.
They are demanding the implementation of Election Promise 356, seeking the regularisation of 8,000 Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) nurses currently on consolidated pay. “We were promised permanent job status years ago. It is disheartening that the government is appealing against the high court order for ‘equal pay for equal work’ instead of helping us,” said association general secretary N Subin.
The association reiterated that they would not back down until a concrete solution on job regularisation is reached and 10,000 new nursing posts created.