CHENNAI: Contractual health and support staff engaged under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) and National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) under the (GCC) staged a one-day hunger protest demanding permanent employment.

Workers from zones 1-15 participated in the demonstration, citing prolonged contractual employment and the absence of basic employment benefits despite performing essential civic and public health duties for years.

The protesters submitted a representation to the Chief Minister, urging the government to honour its manifesto assurance made during the 2021 Assembly elections to regularise NULM malaria workers.

They said continued job insecurity has adversely affected their livelihoods and family stability.

The staff who took part in the protest included NULM malaria workers, staff nurses under NUHM, auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), lab technicians, pharmacists, data entry operators (DEOs), medical social workers (MSWs), multi-tasking medical workers (MTMs), women health volunteers (WHVs) and female support workers (FSWs).

Nagaraj, a malaria worker participating in the protest, lamented, “For every government scheme to be implemented, we’re the go-to workforce.

Take SIR or any other duties or scheme, we handle it apart from our regular work schedule, which is already hectic. Despite this, we have no employment benefits such as ESI or PF.”

The workers appealed to the government to recognise the nature and scale of their work and ensure job security through permanent appointments.