Ahmedabad: With the faculty members of six government medical colleges and eight GMERS colleges resuming their hunger strike on Wednesday to air their pay hike demands, Chief Minister Rupani has assured the protesting doctors that the government has accepted their justified demands and asked them to withdraw the strike.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel has also confirmed that he has approved steps to alleviate the grievances of the faculty members and urged them to resume their duties.
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PTI reports that Chief Minister Vijay Rupani told reporters, "All justified demands have been accepted," adding, "As a chief minister, I request them to withdraw the strike as this is a time to save people together from (coronavirus) infection."
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who holds the health portfolio, stated that in a late-night statement that he had approved steps to resolve the ten issues raised by striking teachers, and expressed hope that they will resume duty. Patel further added that the government will also take proper action to meet the reasonable demands of all other employees of the health department.
team had earlier reported that almost 1700 tutors, assistant professors, associate professors, and professors of six medical colleges came under the banner of the Gujarat Medical Teachers Association (GMTA) and had launched a relay hunger strike to press their demands including higher non-practising allowance (NPA) as per the 7th Pay Commission recommendations and the abolition of contractual appointments. GMERS doctors also participated in the protest.
GMTA members had proceeded on strike last Friday demanding a pay hike among other things but withdrew it hours later after the government promised to find a solution. However, they resumed their protest on Wednesday.
"We had a high-level meeting with the government's representatives on May 7, and we were happy that our demands were heard and the attitude of the government was positive. But we have not yet received any written proof of which demands have been accepted by the government. "Which is why we have called a new strike," said Dr Rajnish Patel, president of GMTA.
Other than NPA, the association also wants permission for teachers to start private practice after 10 years of service. As medical college teachers are barred from private practice, an allowance is paid to them as compensation. Citing a government resolution of 2017, GMTA also wants a hike in the cap on maximum monthly salary. Nursing staff of government hospitals also went on strike demanding a hike in salary, nursing allowance as well as a stipend for nursing students.