Srinagar, Sep 16 (KNO): The ongoing agitation by National Health Mission (NHM) employees across Jammu and Kashmir entered its eighth consecutive day on Wednesday, with employees continuing to press for pay parity, job security, regularisation and comprehensive social security benefits.
The strike, spearheaded by the Jammu & Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association (JKNHMEA), has entered its second week amid growing calls for the government to initiate formal dialogue and come up with a concrete and time-bound mechanism to address their long-pending issues.
The employees had on Monday evening extended their ongoing 72-hour protest for another 72 hours from Tuesday, maintaining that the decision followed the absence of a concrete resolution to their demands.
The protesting workforce is seeking pay parity with NHM employees in other states, a comprehensive policy for job security and regularisation, besides benefits including EPF, ESI, insurance coverage and post-retirement support.
With NHM personnel continuing to remain away from routine duties, several programmes and services supported by the mission have been affected at different levels across J&K. Employees said their prolonged absence was also placing additional pressure on regular staff in several health institutions.
An NHM employee said the agitation was not a sudden decision but the outcome of years of uncertainty over their employment and service conditions.
"We have been working in the health sector for years and have continued our duties during difficult situations. Despite this, there is still no clear policy regarding our future. We want the government to frame a proper mechanism that recognises our service and provides us with employment security," the employee told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
Another protesting worker said there was a disparity in remuneration and benefits compared to NHM employees in other states performing comparable responsibilities.
"Our responsibilities are almost the same, but there is a disparity in remuneration and benefits. We are only seeking a fair and dignified wage structure," he said.
A female NHM employee said uncertainty over employment had created difficulties for workers who had spent several years in the mission. "Many of us have devoted a major part of our working lives to NHM services. We have families and financial responsibilities, but there is still no certainty about our future," she said.
Another employee said social security was equally important. "EPF, ESI and insurance are basic forms of social protection. These issues need a concrete response rather than repeated assurances," the employee said.
The employees maintained that they were aware of the impact of the agitation on healthcare delivery and said they did not want patients to face inconvenience.
"We understand that healthcare is an essential service. But our demands have also remained unresolved for years. We are ready to sit across the table with the government and discuss every issue if there is a clear and time-bound roadmap," another protesting employee said.
The association has been urging the administration to convene talks with its representatives and work towards a comprehensive settlement. Employees said the continuation of the strike was aimed at drawing attention to longstanding grievances and not at creating inconvenience for the public.
As the strike entered its eighth day, employees said they would continue their peaceful agitation while awaiting concrete steps from the government. They appealed to the authorities to initiate dialogue at the earliest and develop a mechanism that addresses their demands through a structured and time-bound process—(KNO)