New Delhi: Over 15,000 nurses of state-run hospitals in Maharashtra will go on indefinite strike from Saturday to protest against the state government's decision to outsource recruitment of nurses to a private agency, their association said.
The Maharashtra State Nurses Association (MSNA) had earlier called for a two-day strike on May 27-28.
"None of our demands have been met. So we are going on indefinite strike from May 28," general secretary of the MSNA Sumitra Tote said on Friday.
If the recruitment of nurses is outsourced, they will be vulnerable to exploitation and receive lower remuneration, she said.
More than 15,000 nurses from state-run hospitals, including about 1,500 in Mumbai, will be on strike, Tote added.
The MSNA has also asked for payment of nursing and education allowances to its members.
The Centre and some states pay nursing allowance of ₹ 7,200. The benefit should be extended to nurses in Maharashtra too, Ms Tote said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra on Friday recorded 536 new coronavirus infections — the highest one-day rise in cases since March 3 — but zero pandemic-related fatalities, the health department said.
The tally of active cases crossed the 2,500-mark, it said.
On March 3, the state had recorded 544 new infections.
The state’s COVID-19 caseload rose to 78,84,865 while death toll stood unchanged at 1,47,858.
The case fatality rate in Maharashtra is 1.87 per cent.
On Thursday, the state had recorded 511 new cases and one death.
State capital Mumbai alone recorded 351 new coronavirus cases on Friday.
The number of active cases rose to 2,568.
Sangli, Dhule, Jalna, Latur, Hingoli, Akola, Buldhana, Yavatmal and Gondia districts have zero active cases.