Pay Revision of Nurses

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO: 103
ANSWERED ON: 22.12.2017

Pay Revision of Nurses

BHAVANA GAWALI (PATIL)
Will the Minister of
HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the All India Nurses Confederation has demanded review of their pay scale and increase in their allowances;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has taken any decision in this regard and if so, the details thereof; and
(d) whether the Union of Nurses had called a pan-India strike in the recent past and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken by the Government to address their grievances?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)
(a) to (d) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 103* FOR 22TH DECEMBER, 2017

(a) to (c) - Government has not received any representation/demands from All India Nurses Confederation. However, representation from All India Government Nurses Federation (AIGNF) was received in the Ministry demanding revision in pay and allowances against 7th Central Pay Commission's report. The Government examined their demands along with demands of other Associations. The Government accepted the Commission's recommendations on minimum pay, fitment factor, Index of Rationalisation, Pay matrices and general recommendations on pay without any material alteration vide Resolution dated 25.07.2016. The recommendation on allowances was referred to an Empowered Committee comprising of Finance Secretary and Secretary (Expenditure) as Chairman and Secretaries of Home Affairs, Defence, Health & Family Welfare, Personnel & Training, Posts & Chairman, Railway Board as Members for further consideration.

AIGNF threatened to go on a nationwide strike with effect from 2nd August, 2016. Their main demands were granting entry pay of PB-3 with GP 5400/- to Staff Nurse ( Nursing Officer), Nursing allowance, Nurses to be covered under Risk and Hardship Matrix (R1H1), Uniform and Washing allowance, Knowledge allowance and other allowances according to the Grade Pay. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare examined their demands and recommended entry Grade Pay of Rs.5400/- to Staff Nurse (Nursing Officer) to Ministry of Finance. Detailed note in respect of allowances admissible to nurses vide 7th CPC recommendations, demand of nurses and Ministry's response thereon was sent to Empowered Committee for consideration. (Annexure).

(d) AIGNF went on a nationwide strike on 2nd September, 2016 reiterating their earlier demands on revision of pay and allowances. The strike was called off after discussion on 3.9.2016. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare again referred the demands of the Association along with its recommendations to the Empowered Committee. AIGNF also made their presentation before the Committee on allowances on 15.9.2016.

The Empowered Committee examined the demands of the Nurses Associations. The accepted recommendations on allowances were notified vide Government of India notification dated 06th July, 2017. The Government of India has accepted to retain and rationalize Nursing allowance and Operation theatre allowance. Uniform and washing allowance has been retained and subsumed under the Dress allowance. Most of the demands of AIGNF have been considered and concluded to their satisfaction and a robust system of monthly interaction with nurses has been put in place.

LOK SABHA