New Delhi|HL
The AIIMS Nurses’ Union on Tuesday decided to call off its indefinite strike hours after the Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed it to ensure that its members immediately rejoin work and said that the nurses “must place the interest of patients above and beyond” their dispute with the administration.
In the view of Hon. Delhi High Court directive, a meeting of available union executives and Ad-Hoc members has been held on 26/4/22 at 8.30PM to discuss about the course of action.
It has been decided to call off the ongoing indefinite strike and to continue the agitation and protest by other modes as the Hon. Delhi High Court directed to rejoin for duties.
The AIIMS Nurses Union would like to thank each and every member for having shown our strength and support. We promise you that we will continue this fight to resolve our genuine long-standing demands for the betterment of our members, an official statement issued on call off by Nurses association in late evening.
As law-abiding citizens of this country, we are accepting the decision of the honourable court and calling off our strike. We have been asked to appear in court at 10 am on Wednesday says nurses representative.
In response to the suspension of the president of AIIMS Nurses’ Union, Harish Kajala the nursing staff of the hospital on Tuesday had gone on an indefinite strike. The nurses union has demanded the immediate revocation of Kajala’s suspension.
Earlier in the day, Justice Yashwant Varma, dealing with the petition by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), observed that while the rights of the union to espouse the cause of its members stands duly recognised, it should must bear in mind the “deleterious impact” that the call to strike would have medical institution as well as patients awaiting emergency surgery and care.
The AIIMS through advocate Satya Ranjan Swain has submitted that the strike is not in the public interest and the said strike is also illegal given the fact that the grievances of the respondent are unjustified, and after consideration, the AIIMS management has suspended the president of the respondent.
The AIIMS is at the forefront of the battle against Covid-19 and is regularly treating Covid patients in addition to its general patient load. The strike called by the respondent gravely hampers the ability of the Petitioner to fulfil its duties, said the AIIMS plea.
In a letter addressed to the AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria, the Union wrote, “In response to your unilateral decision to suspend Harish Kajala president of AllMS Nurses Union, without even citing proper reasons, the union called an emergency executive meeting and took the decision to go on indefinite strike from 8 AM on April 26 demanding immediate revocation of suspension of Harish Kumar Kajla and stopping of all kinds of retaliative measures against union executives and Union members of main operation theatre (OT).”
“The union has always been receptive and open to expressing our genuine concerns and version throughout this issue. But unfortunately, we were neither called, nor contacted via any communication which forced us to go on an indefinite strike to safeguard the basic rights of our members. We would like to remind you that the undemocratic AllMS administration will be solely responsible for the consequences if any,” the letter read.
Earlier on April 23, AIIMS witnessed a matter between Kajala and the Resident Doctors’ Association.
