Aizawl: Upto 78 workers of the Mobile Veterinary Unit under Mizoram’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department have commenced a work-from-home strike. This action, effective from August 1, 2024, comes in response to non-payment of salaries for the past seven months.
The affected workers include 26 doctors, 26 veterinary field assistants, and 26 drivers. These employees were hired on February 1, 2023, with the unit established to combat the severe African Swine Fever (ASF) epidemic ravaging the state. Since the beginning of 2024, however, they have not received any salaries. Workers report that even prior to this, their payments were irregular.
The Mobile Veterinary Unit was designed to provide critical on-the-ground support to those impacted by ASF, operating through a common call center to reach out to those in need. The epidemic has had devastating effects on Mizoram’s swine population, with official figures as of July 31, 2024, reporting 8,251 ASF-related deaths and 15,305 pigs culled to prevent further spread of the disease.
On February 1, 2023, 26 mobile veterinary units were inaugurated by the then Chief Minister Zoramthanga at the College of Veterinary Science and A.H. Play Ground in Selesih. These units were funded by the Livestock Health and Disease Control Scheme’s Establishment and Strengthening of Veterinary Hospitals and Dispensaries (ESVHD) programme.
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The striking workers have expressed their frustration and disappointment over the government’s failure to ensure regular and timely payment of their salaries, despite their crucial role in managing and mitigating the ASF crisis.
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