SRINAGAR: The strike by National Health Mission (NHM) employees in Jammu and Kashmir entered its eighth day on Wednesday, with protesting workers demanding pay parity, job security, regularisation and social security benefits.
The agitation, led by the Jammu and Kashmir National Health Mission Employees Association (JKNHMEA), continued for a second consecutive week as employees urged the government to initiate formal dialogue and establish a time-bound mechanism to address their demands.
The employees had extended their ongoing protest by another 72 hours on Tuesday, stating that no concrete resolution had emerged on their issues.
The association is seeking pay parity with NHM employees in other states, a policy on job security and regularisation, and benefits such as Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), Employees’ State Insurance (ESI), insurance coverage and post-retirement support.
With NHM staff remaining away from routine duties, some health programmes and services supported by the mission have been affected, according to employees. They also claimed that the strike was increasing the workload on regular staff in several health institutions.
Several employees participating in the protest said they had been raising concerns about service conditions and employment security for years.
One employee said the association was prepared to hold discussions with the government if a “clear and time-bound roadmap” was offered to address the issues.
Another employee alleged that NHM workers in Jammu and Kashmir receive lower remuneration and fewer benefits than their counterparts in some other states despite performing similar responsibilities.
Protesters also highlighted demands related to social security, including EPF, ESI and insurance coverage.
The association said it was aware of the impact of the strike on healthcare services but maintained that the agitation was aimed at drawing attention to long-pending grievances.
Employees said they would continue their peaceful protest while awaiting a response from the government and renewed their call for formal talks to resolve the issues.