Delhi High Court restrains AIIMS nurses from continuing with strike

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (December 15) restrained the nurses union of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) from continuing with their indefinite strike over some long pending demands, including those regarding the Sixth Central Pay Commission and against contractual appointments.

Justice Navin Chawla passed the order on a plea moved by AIIMS-Delhi against the strike by around 5,000 nurses who went on an agitation from Monday afternoon.

“Keeping in view the submissions and assurances made by AIIMS that it would look into the grievances of the respondents (nurses), this union is restrained from continuing the strike,” Justice Chawla said.

Related News: Nurses go on indefinite strike

The court restrained the nurses from going on strike till further orders after AIIMS said it was considering the grievances of the union.

It also issued notice to the nurses union and listed the matter for hearing in January 2021.

AIIMS told the court that in view of the prevailing pandemic if the strike continued the hospital would come to a standstill which would not be in public interest as it is a COVID-19 facility as well.

“Our union is ready for talks with the administration. We are feeling bad for patients but we’re helpless as our demands haven’t been met. We had given notice for strike a month ago but even then the administration didn’t listen to our demands,” Harish Kalja, president of AIIMS Nurses Union, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Earlier, in a video message, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria had appealed to nurses to call off their agitation and return to work. He said the nurses’ union had 23 demands and almost all of them have been met by the AIIMS administration and the government.

“I appeal to all nurses and nursing officers not to go on strike, and not to make us feel embarrassed about the dignity that we have as far as the nurses are concerned. I, therefore, appeal to all of you to come back and work and really help us get through this pandemic,” Guleria said.

(With inputs from PTI)