The indefinite strike called by the contract employees of 108 Emergency Response Services from Friday, has widely hit the ambulance services across the state with more than 400 vehicles going off the road. Though, this is the official figure given by GVK (EMRI) Emergency Management and Research Institute, according to 108 contract employees union, 90 per cent of the total 750 vehicles were away from regular duties.
GVK-EMRI operates the service with 750 vehicles and 4,075 employees. The major demands of the striking employees include implementation of minimum wages and regular work hours.
“Our staff have been working on 12-hour basis for a salary ranging between Rs 7,000-8,000. We demand that the working hours be reduced to 8 hours and a salary of minimum Rs 15,000 be given,” Bhoopal, honorary president of the 108 services contract employees’ union said. He also alleged that the management has been harassing the workers and have also suspended or transferred many of their leaders.
“We submitted a representation to the government in February and again in March. We held relay hunger strike between June 1 and 10 and also informed the authorities about the indefinite strike if our demands are not met with. There was no response at all,” he said adding that the labour commissioner has also failed to keep the assurance he had given earlier.
According to him, 90 per cent of the total 4,075 staff are on strike and would continue the strike until their demands are met.
No comments:
Post a Comment