The indefinite strike by more than 30,000 nurses across Maharashtra entered its fifth day on Tuesday, as the Maharashtra State Nurses Association refused to end the agitation without official written orders from the government. This comes despite a high-level meeting with Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif, where the government agreed in principle to key demands, including scrapping contractual appointments and upgrading the designation of nurses to nursing officers.
However, the association has made it clear that the protest will continue until these assurances are formally notified and a follow-up meeting is held with the Commissioner of the Medical Education Department.
The ongoing strike, which began on July 18, has received strong backing from the State Government Group-D (Class IV) Employees Federation. Core demands include the immediate cancellation of the contractual hiring process, 100% permanent recruitment, timely promotions to fill thousands of vacancies, and correction of long-pending salary anomalies under the Seventh Pay Commission.
Nurses also expressed frustration over the state’s repeated neglect of two sets of recommendations submitted by the Bakshi Committee since 2017, which sought to resolve pay disparities among staff nurses, sister-in-charges, and nursing tutors.
The strike has gained further momentum following the June 6, 2025, government circular announcing fresh contractual appointments—a move that had previously triggered a 10-day strike in 2022 before being rolled back. Nurses argue that this latest development once again disrespects their dedicated service, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when they served as critical frontline workers.
