Five grade II nurses at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences complain that they have not been paid their salaries for the past four months.
“Come April, and it will be exact 122 days of unpaid work for me,” said an aggrieved nurse on condition of anonymity. Staying in a room in Kidwai Nagar, she finds it difficult to manage her expenses. Sources of debt too have dried up.
“Now we do not even know who is responsible for the paying the salary. Every official sends us to another one and we are going around in circles,” said the nurse. The nurses are contract workers, directly under AIIMS.
The AIIMS spoksperson was not available for comment and another official did not have a concrete reply.
He said, “This usually does not happen. All our employees are paid on time.”
Joining date
The nurses' joined the hospital in 2003. Nearly 50 were taken on contract for two months which has since been extended many times. They were recruited against a wage of Rs 390 a day which translates into Rs 11,750 per month. Their wage has stagnated at that level itself.
Out of 50, only five now remain at the hospital, rest have left.
“If our contract has been renewed umpteen number of times, it shows our work is good and satisfactory. Then why have we not received any increment till today?” said a nurse.
In comparison, nurses who were recruited in 2010 for the same post under same terms are being given a consolidated salary of Rs 28,000.
The nurses approached the Central Administrative Tribunal, which last october issued an order to AIIMS to hear their case and give a 'reasoned order' within two months.
They allege that this has not happened. And, since December, their usual salaries too have stopped.
The nurses have to pass an exam for regular job. The nurses in question took the exam many times, but could not pass. They allege that the process is arbitrary as the administration declared one of them ineligible for being overage, but later allowed her to take the exam.
Explanation
The official explained, “The nurses were recruited in 2003 on a contract basis as we urgently needed staff. To become a regular employee one has to respond to the advertisement posted by the hospital and go through the entire process, competing with other eligible candidates.
These nurses could not pass the exam. In 2008, one of them became overage and hence, was not allowed to sit for the exam. However, on her request we gave age relaxation in 2011 and let her appear for the exam.”