Imphal, Jul 04: Although the cease work strike of Govt employees has been called off after an MoU between the Government and JAC of AMTUC and AMGEO, Nurses Association of Manipur (NAM) has resolved not to abide by the said agreement as it has side-tracked interests of the nurses.

Announcing this during a media briefing at the conference hall of JN Hospital today, NAM president L Memton said the Association was not taken into confidence and interest of the nurses had been side-lined by the JAC while signing the truce with the Govt.While pointing out that the MoU has conceded to a mere increase of Rs 40 in the nursing allowance against the demand of increasing the amount from Rs 160 to Rs 1600 and that of the washing allowance from Rs 75 to Rs 150 by only Rs 25, Memton said such minuscule hike (Rs 65) is a humiliation to nurse community.

Accordingly, a memorandum highlighting demands of the nurses was submitted to the Chief Minister yesterday, she informed, adding that Association would be constrained to launch agitation against the Government if the demands are not fulfilled within 15 days.

Enumerating grievances of the nurses, Memton pointed out that the nursing allowance, uniform allowance and washing allowance currently provided to the nurses of Manipur is very much below par in comparison with those enjoyed by the nurses in Nagaland, Mizoram, Delhi and RIMS.

Moreover, nurses employed in Government hospitals of Manipur are not getting any incentive for having extra/higher qualification, she said, adding that the incentives in the form of qualification allowance should also be extended to the nurses so as to enhance job efficiency and performance.

She further lamented that nurses in State Govt services are getting stagnated in their respective posts as they have minimum scope for promotion.

It often happens that a nursing staff in Manipur gets retirement without getting a single promotion despite the rules of the INC that there should be three times promotion during the time of service of a nurse.

Though services of nurses come under the ambit of Essential Service Maintenance Act, none of the nurse working in Manipur are getting any of the benefits under the Act, she rued.

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