Sanitation workers at Chandigarh’s Government Medical College and Hospital end strike

The hospital administration clarified that the workers had returned to work unconditionally

A day after six of them were terminated from service, the agitating contractual workers of the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, resumed their duties on Thursday afternoon.

Around 300-odd sanitation workers, who have been hired through a contractor, went on a strike on November 16 demanding a Diwali bonus. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Around 300-odd sanitation workers, who have been hired through a contractor, went on a strike on November 16 demanding a Diwali bonus.

Om Kailash, the chairman of the GMCH-32 Safai Karamchari Union, said that the strike had been suspended after the authorities said their demand will be met in a week.

The GMCH-32 administration in a release, however, clarified that the workers had returned to work without any condition being accepted by them.

“The ongoing strike of the safai karamcharis, engaged at GMCH, through a contractor, came to an end unconditionally. They were given to understand that their demand of grant of bonus is to be decided by the higher authorities. All safai karamcharis resumed their duties at around 1.30pm and within 3-4 hours, the whole hospital got cleaned and all biomedical waste collected. Even before the resumption of their duties, the contractor already hired some safai karamcharis from outside who were cleaning the hospital,” said Anil Moudgil, public relations officer of the hospital, in a release.