New Delhi: The All India ESIC Nursing Officers’ Federation (AIESICNOF) will begin a three-day nationwide Black Badge Protest from Thursday, July 16, opposing the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation’s (ESIC) mandatory transfer orders issued under the Annual General Transfer (AGT)-2026.
The protest, which the federation described as the first phase of a nationwide agitation, will be observed across ESIC medical institutions, ESIC hospitals and District Controlling Branch Offices (DCBOs). In addition, AIESICNOF has served a formal strike notice to the Union Minister for Labour and Employment, who also serves as the Chairman of ESIC.
The federation has alleged that the AGT-2026 transfer orders are “illegal, arbitrary and discriminatory,” claiming they were issued in violation of the existing transfer policy and without any transparent or objective criteria.
According to AIESICNOF, the transfer exercise affected Assistant Nursing Superintendents (ANS), Senior Nursing Officers (SNO) and Nursing Officers despite repeated assurances from the ESIC Director General and the Union Labour Minister that mandatory transfers in the nursing cadre would not be implemented. The federation said transfers were expected to be considered only on a request basis and against available vacancies.
It further alleged that the transfer process has placed hundreds of nursing personnel and their families under considerable mental, social and financial stress. The federation claimed that the exercise overlooked principles of fairness, equality and natural justice while failing to adequately consider the personal circumstances of affected employees.
Highlighting the impact on nursing staff, AIESICNOF stated that nursing is a predominantly female profession and alleged that many women officers have been transferred to stations located thousands of kilometres away from their present workplaces. It said humanitarian factors, including childcare responsibilities, spouse employment, children’s education and the care of elderly parents, were not adequately taken into account while issuing the transfer orders.
The federation also said it had submitted several representations, held meetings with ESIC authorities, participated in conciliation proceedings and remained engaged in discussions with the Ministry of Labour and Employment in an effort to resolve the issue. However, it alleged that its grievances remained unresolved and that the administration proceeded with the large-scale transfer exercise despite its objections.
The three-day Black Badge Protest is expected to mark the beginning of a broader nationwide agitation by the federation as it seeks a review of the AGT-2026 transfer orders and resolution of the issues raised regarding the transfer process.
