The Nurses Union of Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are on an indefinite strike, over their long-pending demands, including that related to the Sixth Central Pay Commission.
Scores of the nurses were sitting at the hospital premises shouting slogans, holding placards, amid the pandemic.
"Our Union is ready for talks with the administration. We are feeling bad for patients but we're helpless as our demands haven't been met. We had given notice for strike a month ago but even then the administration didn't listen to our demands," said Harish Kalja President of AIIMS Nurses Union, Delhi.
"There was no need for us to strike. We were busy serving the people. But the government retracted from the demands that were met earlier. None of our demands are new. All of our demands are important. But the demand of 6th Central Pay Commission is of priority," he added.
On government orders to nurses to join back duty, Kalja said "The citizens of the country are witnessing here that the government is not ready to hold talks with us. This is really unfortunate."
"It's hereby directed that AlIMS Delhi should ensure that directions of Delhi High Court are strictly complied with without fail and there should be no cessation or disruption of Nursing functions in AllMS nor such an action aided or abetted," said R Bhushan, Secretary Ministry of Health
Senior Nursing Officer, Jaishree call on the government to help resolve the issue so that the nurses can get back to work.
"We want the issue to be resolved at the earliest amid this pandemic and want to call off the protest. We gave them information one month ago regarding all this. But the government has not done anything about this. We want the government to give us assures so that we can resolve all this," Jaishree told .
( With inputs from ANI )
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