EDMC docs strike over unpaid salaries, North MCD teachers threaten the same
New Delhi: Doctors, nurses and paramedics of the East MCD-run Swami Dayanand Hospital started an indefinite strike on Tuesday over four months' pending salaries, withdrawing services like emergency duty and routine operation procedures.
The doctors and nurses' union of Swami Dayanand Hospital had written to the EDMC early last month and in reply were assured by the management that their pending dues from October 2021 to January 2022 would be credited by 29 January. However, the EDMC failed to deliver on their promise which triggered the protest.
Meanwhile, teachers working in North MCD-run schools have now threatened to launch another protest if their pending salaries and pensions are not settled by February 10. Staffers of both the civic bodies have had to resort to periodic protests over unpaid salaries and have only been placated repeatedly in meetings to temporarily withdraw their strikes.
While both civic bodies have blamed the Delhi government for its empty coffers, the AAP-led government has blamed the Centre for not allocating funds to the MCDs. Moreover, the Aam Aadmi has consistently accused the MCDs of corruption and selling public land for hospitals and schools to private players.
"This is a regular issue for us. Every four to five months we write to the EDMC for releasing our salaries, stage a protest and then we get our dues. It has become a ritual in this infirmary," said Dr Awainandra Kumar, head of the Pathology department at the Swami Dayanand Hospital, adding to the chorus of graft allegations against the civic body.
The salary dues have pushed many healthcare workers to their limit, with nursing officer Bindu Jain saying she often has to borrow money to pay the interest on her home loan. "We are not demanding anything extra, just timely payment of salary is all we want. If that is too much to ask, then calling us frontline workers and paying respect to us is just a facade," said the 31-year-old nurse, who is the sole earning member in a family of three.
And now, North MCD teachers have yet again written to mayor Raja Singh Iqbal, saying that officials had stopped responding to them and that if their demands for settling dues of two months, they will be forced to protest in front of the Delhi BJP office.
Among their demands is also the call for Covid-19 compensation for teachers who fell to the virus and clearing of salary and pension arrears of all retired ones.
