New Delhi, December 15: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday restrained the AIIMS Delhi Nurses' Union from continuing their indefinite stir. The order came a day after around 5,000 nurses of the premium government hospital launched a strike over their long-pending demands including salary revision and halt on hiring of contractual workers.

The bench of Justice Navin Chawla, while hearing the 'AIIMS vs AIIMS Nurses Union' case today, said the protesters should restrain their strike for now as the authorities are considering the issues raised by them. The order came after the hospital's counsel said they were sympathetically looking at the demands raised by the Union. Dr Randeep Guleria Appeals Medics to End Stir, Invokes Pandemic Urgency, 'Florence Nightingale'.

Advocate VSR Krishna, who appeared for AIIMS, also told the bench that a strike at this stage is against the national interest as the country is reeling under the COVID-19 pandemic.

With AIIMS being one of the hospitals treating coronavirus patients, the strike by nurses could pose disastrous effects, he said. The counsel also pointed out the strike was in violation of the Industrial Disputes Act as no six-week notice under Section 22 of the law was not served before calling the stir.

The issue reached the Delhi HC after the Nurses Union, on Monday, turned down an appeal made by AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria urging them to end their stir. Guleria, in his video message, claimed that most of the demands raised by the Union has been technically addressed, and the pending differences could be discussed through talks.

The Union Health Ministry, after taking cognisance of the nurses strike, issued a statement last night directing AIIMS to comply with the Disaster Management Act.

"It's hereby directed that AlIMS Delhi should ensure that directions of Delhi High Court are strictly complied with without fail and there should be no cessation or disruption of Nursing functions in AllMS nor such an action aided or abetted," R Bhushan, Secretary Ministry of Health, had said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 15, 2020 05:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).