Second ANMs demand wage hike, threatens to go on bigger agitation

Speaking to the journalists, Soma Saha, Nadia unit president of West Bengal United Auxiliary Nurses Employees Association said the health workers are working in deplorable conditions with very meager salary and without any benefits.

Biswabrata Goswami

KRISHNAGAR, 23 JUNE: The frontline warriors across the state who are boldly fighting against Covid-19 pandemic have threatened to go on bigger agitation if the state government does not announce an immediate hike in their salaries.

Hundreds of the Multi-purpose health workers (second-Auxiliary nurse midwifery (ANM)-female workers), who are relentlessly doing their services in the village level across the state are reportedly being deprived of getting their salary hike since many years.

Undaunted by family pressure, social stigma and the risk of contracting the infection, they have been at the forefront of the battle against the pandemic.

Though, the state chief minister Mamata Banerjee had assured last year that she would increase salary of second-ANMs by March, this year.

While before submitting a deputation before the chief medical officer of health (CMOH), Nadia, the frontline workers said demanding the government to increase the salary immediately and provide maternity leave of 180 days with salary and treat their service as permanent government job.

ANMs are regarded as the grass-roots workers in the health organisation pyramid. Their services are considered important to provide safe and effective care to village communities. The role may help communities achieve the targets of national health programmes.

Speaking to the journalists, Soma Saha, Nadia unit president of West Bengal United Auxiliary Nurses Employees Association said the health workers are working in deplorable conditions with very meager salary and without any benefits.

She has demanded the Government to sanction 35 casual leaves every year and pay ex-gratia to the kin of the workers, who died on duty and also extend insurance facility.

She said the Supreme Court has issued a directive - equal pay for equal work- but the state government is not implementing it.