Maharashtra Nurses Refuse To End Strike Without Written Orders Despite Government Assurances

Mumbai: The indefinite strike by over 30,000 nurses across Maharashtra, which began on July 18, has not been withdrawn, despite a key meeting today with Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif yielding some positive outcomes. The state government has agreed in principle to cancel contractual appointments and upgrade the designation of nurses to nursing officers. 

However, the Maharashtra State Nurses Association has made it clear that the strike will continue until these decisions are officially notified and a follow-up meeting is held with the Commissioner of the Medical Education Department.

The nurses’ protest, already in its fifth day, has been intensifying with 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 vacant posts, and resolution of long-pending pay anomalies under the Seventh Pay Commission. Despite two sets of recommendations by the Bakshi Committee since 2017, pay disparities among staff nurses, sister-in-charges, and nursing tutors remain unaddressed.

The strike gained further momentum following the state government's circular dated June 6, 2025, which announced new contractual recruitments—an issue that had previously triggered a 10-day strike in 2022 before being rolled back. Nurses say this latest move shows a continued disregard for their service, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, where they played a vital frontline role.

Sumitra Tote, General Secretary of the Maharashtra State Nurses Association, reiterated that no decision to call off the strike would be taken until the government issues written circulars confirming recruitment reforms, designation changes, and pending allowances—some due for over four decades.

As hospitals across Maharashtra begin to feel the strain, and patient care suffers, all eyes are now on the state administration to issue formal directives and end the deadlock. Until then, striking nurses remain firm in their stand: no written orders, no return to work.