The three-day strike by National Health Mission (NHM) employees in Dibrugarh entered its second day on Tuesday, with protestors intensifying their sit-in demonstration outside the office of the Joint Director of Health Services. The agitation, which began on November 3, has brought district-level health services to a standstill as workers demand job regularisation and pay parity.
Hundreds of employees, under the banner of the Dibrugarh District Health and Technical Welfare Association and the NHM Employees’ Association, are protesting the state government’s failure to address their core demands. These include the implementation of a Supreme Court-mandated ‘Equal Pay for Equal Work’ policy, full benefits as per a 2021 government gazette notification, and absorption into permanent posts.
Frustration is mounting among the strikers, who feel their patience has been tested for too long.
“We are the backbone of the public health system, yet we work with minimal pay and zero job security. The Chief Minister’s promises from his first cabinet meeting remain unfulfilled, and our deadline of October 31 has passed with no response. This indifference has left us with no choice but to escalate our protest,” said Ushajit Phukan, Secretary of NHM Employees’ Association, Dibrugarh.
In a significant escalation, the employees have suspended all online and offline health reporting until November 12 and are boycotting the second phase of Mega Health Camps. As a symbol of their protest, workers are also continuously wearing black badges throughout November.
Association representatives have vowed to continue their democratic movement until justice is delivered. They warned that health services in the district will remain disrupted until the government initiates concrete steps to meet their long-pending legitimate demands.
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