Aizawl, Jul 15, 2022, By Agencies

Aizawl July 15:  Mizoram is currently facing a manpower crunch amid rising COVID-19 due to an indefinite strike organised by various healthcare workers under the National Health Mission (NHM), highly placed sources said. 

The state government termed the strike “unfortunate” and said it would take action against the agitated staffers for not abiding by the rules and agreement. 

Responding to a call given by the National Health Mission Employees Union of Mizoram (NEUM), over 2,000 contractual employees under the NHM have stayed off their work since Monday demanding several benefits, including regularisation, regular pay, medical reimbursement and transfer allowance.

NEUM  president Malsawmtluanga Hauhnar said that the meeting of the union on Wednesday decided to continue with the strike after the meeting with top state officials on Tuesday remained inconclusive.

Although the mass casual leave staged by the contractual employees of NHM was initially scheduled to be called off on Wednesday, it has been decided to continue indefinitely as the government fails to meet their demands, he said. 

Hauhnar, however, said that the union is willing to call off its strike if the government agrees to meet at least two of its demands.

He said that the healthcare workers were paid very irregularly for about 10 years due to unknown reasons especially when the state stopped receiving direct Central funding.

The state did not honour the Supreme Court ruling that employees under the Central Sponsored Scheme be paid regularly.