ESIC nurses announce nationwide protest from July 16, to go on indefinite strike from July 22 over transfer orders

The All India ESIC Nursing Officers’ Federation (AIESICNOF) has announced nationwide protest, including an indefinite strike from July 22, against the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation’s (ESIC) Annual General Transfer (AGT)-2026 orders, alleging that the transfers were arbitrary, discriminatory and in violation of earlier assurances given by the Union government.

In a notice addressed to Union Labour and Employment Minister and ESIC Chairman Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on June 29, the Federation said the transfer orders issued for Assistant Nursing Superintendents (ANS), Senior Nursing Officers (SNO) and Nursing Officers had triggered widespread resentment across the country. The organisation alleged that the transfers were carried out without any transparent criteria or adherence to the existing transfer policy, and claimed that several nurses had been shifted to faraway regions despite the absence of objective guidelines.

The Federation also expressed concern over the impact of the transfers on women employees, stating that many nursing officers had been posted to stations more than 1,000 km away from their current workplaces without considering family responsibilities, children’s education, care of elderly parents or spouse employment. It said the transfers had imposed severe financial and emotional hardship on hundreds of families.

As per the announced schedule, nursing officers will wear black badges from July 16 to July 18. On July 20, they will stage a two-hour protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and at all ESIC medical institutions, hospitals and dispensaries across the country, followed by a peaceful march to Shram Shakti Bhawan, the headquarters of the Ministry of Labour and Employment. A mass casual leave has been planned for July 21, while an indefinite strike will commence from July 22 if the demands remain unresolved.