Health Inspectors, Assistant Health Inspectors and Health Assistants in Nakla upazila of Sherpur have begun an indefinite work abstention demanding the implementation of a Six-Point charter.
The program is part of a nationwide movement by the Bangladesh Health Assistants Association and was launched on Saturday morning in front of the Upazila Health Complex where workers displayed banners and wore symbolic flags.
Their demands include amending recruitment rules to incorporate graduate or equivalent qualifications for the 14th grade, promoting in-service diploma holders to the 11th grade with technical status, and ensuring regular higher-grade promotions. They are also pressing for recognition of in-service diplomas as graduate equivalent, inclusion of time scale benefits in the pay structure, creation of sufficient posts, timely permanent appointments, risk allowances, and workplace safety.
Leaders of the association said that repeated appeals to the government had gone unanswered.
The six-point demands must be fulfilled immediately, they warned adding that tougher programs including a shutdown would follow under central directives if no steps are taken. All field-level health workers of the upazila participated in the program.
