Around 22,000 employees working under the National Health Mission (NHM) in Assam are up in arms after their December salaries were slashed as a penalty for participating in protests. The workers' association has now issued an ultimatum, threatening to resume their agitation from New Year's Day if the deducted wages are not reimbursed.
Pay Cut for Protest Participation
The All Assam Health & Technical Welfare Association, NHM, Assam, stated at a press conference in Guwahati on Wednesday that their members faced a salary reduction for joining demonstrations held across the state on October 29, November 3, November 4, and November 5. These earlier protests had severely disrupted health services in Assam for several days.
Debajit Deka, the organising secretary of the association, clarified the extent of the penalty. "We faced a full day's salary cut for three days for joining democratic protests," he said. He emphasized that the deduction affected all staff, including technical and non-technical personnel, doctors, and nurses. The association has demanded the immediate withdrawal of this decision by the NHM Assam authorities.
The 'No Work, No Pay' Directive and Core Demands
The salary cuts were enforced by the Assam NHM authorities in December, adhering to the 'no work, no pay' principle. The directive allowed for pay cuts of up to seven days. This action followed a warning from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to employees who had abstained from duty during some large-scale health camps.
However, the employees argue that their protests are rooted in long-standing, legitimate demands. They have been agitating since October, championing the principle of 'equal pay for equal work'. The association's president, Dr. Rupam Choudhury, reiterated their charter of demands, which includes:
- Implementation of a proper pay scale system as per pay commission norms and a 2013 Supreme Court verdict.
- Full implementation of the Assam Gazette Notification, 2021, to provide benefits like gratuity, pension, death benefits, and service books at par with regular state government employees.
- Direct appointment of NHM staff to vacant posts in the state health department and creation of new posts in newly established healthcare institutions.
A Looming Crisis in the New Year
With the deadline set for the New Year, the standoff threatens to plunge Assam's public health services into fresh turmoil. The association has made it clear that their agitation will resume if their deducted salaries are not returned and their core demands for job security and pay parity are not addressed seriously. The situation puts the spotlight on the working conditions of contractual health workers who form the backbone of rural healthcare in the state.
