Over 250 contractual nurses urge DMK government to fulfil poll promises; highlight wage disparity and job insecurity
Chennai – Around 250 nurses under the banner of the Tamil Nadu Nurses Empowerment Association staged a demonstration in Chennai on Thursday, pressing the State government to act on long-standing demands including job regularisation, fair wages, and improved service conditions.
The protesting nurses urged the DMK-led government to honour its electoral promise to regularise the services of all nurses recruited through the Medical Services Recruitment Board (MRB) on consolidated pay. Despite years of service, thousands of nurses continue to work under contractual terms without job security or adequate compensation.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, N Subin, General Secretary of the association, said that nearly 7,500 nurses recruited in 2017 and 2019 through the MRB are still awaiting regularisation. Although the rules mandate regularisation after two years of contractual service, many nurses continue to work under temporary terms far beyond the stipulated period.
“These nurses began their careers with a mere ₹7,700 monthly salary in 2015. Following persistent protests, their pay was revised to ₹14,000 in 2018 and ₹18,000 in 2021, with a 5% annual increment. But this is still a far cry from the ₹60,000 earned by regular government nurses in Chennai,” Subin said.
Lack of New Posts Amid Expanding Infrastructure
The association also highlighted a major structural issue — the absence of newly sanctioned posts despite the establishment of new district headquarters hospitals. Nurses from existing institutions are being diverted instead of creating new positions aligned with patient load, in contravention of recommendations by the National Medical Commission (NMC) and Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS).
The protestors also raised the demand for:
- Reinstatement of nurses who served during the COVID-19 pandemic and were subsequently terminated,
- Restoration of the Nursing Superintendent Grade 3 posts, and
- Structured career progression with salary revisions after 7, 14, 20, and 25 years of service.
The association warned that unless the government responds promptly, the morale of the nursing workforce may further erode, affecting public healthcare delivery across the state.
