On 30 December 2017, trade unions held a protest demonstation in Patna demanding the release of senior TU leader Comrade Rambali Prasad and others who had been arrested by trickery on December 18, after being invited for talks with the State’s Health Minister Mangal Pandey regarding the long-pending demands of protesting ANM-R nurses. The women health employees had gheraoed the Patna Secretariat on 13 December demanding equal pay for equal work, regularisation, and other rights. Comrade Rambali Prasad and other leaders had been invited for talks with the Minister to discuss these demands, and were arrested and jailed when they turned up for the talks.
Central trade unions CITU, AICCTU, AITUC, AIUTUC, UTUC, TUCC, Karmchari Federation (Gope faction), the united front of incentive-honorarium workers (ANM-R, ASHA, mid-day meal workers), the Excutive Assistants, Red Cross employees, and other sections of workers jointly protested the shamefully underhand and undemocratic manner of this arrest. They demanded the release of the employees leaders and withdrawal of the false cases lodged against protesting ANM-R workers.
