Health employees begin 72-hour strike across occupied Jammu and Kashmir
Srinagar : Health employees working under the Health Mission in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir began a 72-hour strike on Wednesday over long-pending demands.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the strike was called by the Jammu and Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association (JKNHMEA) and is being observed at district headquarters across the Territory.
Chief spokesperson of the employees’ body, Abdul Rauoof, said the protest was aimed at drawing the attention of the authorities to the deteriorating service conditions of the employees. He said Health Mission employees form a vital part of the healthcare delivery system and have been serving in hospitals, health centres and various health programmes across occupied Jammu and Kashmir for years.
The association has listed four principal demands: a secure job policy, revision of salaries and pay, retirement benefits for long-serving employees, and social security benefits for workers and their families.
“Health employees have rendered years of dedicated service to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Their demands concerning job security, salary revision, retirement benefits and social security are genuine and deserve serious consideration,” Rauoof said.
He said the demands had been raised repeatedly before the authorities and called for a meaningful and time-bound resolution. The association urged its members to remain peaceful and disciplined during the 72-hour programme and appealed to the authorities to initiate dialogue to resolve the issues.
The strike is scheduled to continue till September 11, according to the JKNHMEA.
