Tiruchi Govt Hospital Nurses Demand Retrospective Salary Hike

Rapid Summary

• Over 40 contractual staff nurses at the Mahatma gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) in Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu, raised their concerns regarding a prolonged delay in sanctioning salary raises approved by a 2021 Government Order.
• The order increased salaries from ₹14,000 to ₹18,000 with a 5% annual increment until their transfer to a time scale of pay. while several nurses have benefited from regularization over three years, around 400 nurses statewide are still awaiting implementation.
• V. Sara, one of the affected nurses, filed an RTI petition about the issue and recently appealed to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin during his city visit for urgent action on this matter.
• Contractual MRB (Medical Services Recruitment Board) nurses continue earning much less than government-employed counterparts (who earn upwards of ₹30,000). Increment disparity also exists between those earning ₹14,000 and ₹18,000 annually.
• Nurses reported financial difficulties due to insufficient salaries and indicated disparities compared to newly appointed personnel under NHM (National Health Mission).
• State joint secretary for MRB Nurses Empowerment Association pointed out how employment terms remain vague while stressing that MRB contractual employees shoulder equal responsibilities as regular government staff.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The ongoing pay disparity highlights a concerning gap in equity within Tamil Nadu’s healthcare workforce between contractual and government-employed nursing professionals despite identical job responsibilities performed by both cadres. This delay undermines not just morale but also financial stability for affected workers who serve critical roles in public health infrastructure.

By resolving this issue promptly as guaranteed under the 2021 Government Order-already overdue-the state could ensure fair treatment of healthcare workers while enhancing confidence in its labor policies across sectors reliant on essential contract-based staffing models.Read more: Link