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Chandigarh: Ahead of union health minister visit, PGI contract workers warn of indefinite hunger strike
The union alleged that, despite central government notification dated July 30 2025, there has been a delay in paying ₹65 crores to contractual workers as per “equal pay for equal work”
chandigarh@hindustantimes.com
Ahead of the Union minister of health and family welfare visit to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) this month end, the contract workers union has warned to go on an indefinite hunger strike on April 25 if their demands are not met. The central minister JP Nadda visit is supposedly on April 30 to PGI where he will be inaugurating two state of the art facilities, Advanced Neuroscience Centre and Mother and Child Care Centre along with presiding over the convocation ceremony.
Contract workers have been demanding the payment of their pending arrears from hospital administration. In a letter served to the director, PGIMER, the union said if their demands are not met after the hunger strike, they will go on a strike on April 27, from 6 am onwards for 24 hours. The union mentioned there is around ₹15-20 crore arrear of hospital attendants pending with PGI, ₹3.25 crore pending arrear of workers working in satellite centres of Una and Sangrur. The union alleged that, despite central government notification dated July 30 2025, there has been a delay in paying ₹65 crores to contractual workers as per “equal pay for equal work”. Several contractual workers have not received their pending arrears belonging to different categories of kitchen staff, security guards, and others.
To prevent workers from going on strike, the UT administration had invoked the Haryana Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) last year for six months. Issued in August 2025, the order was in force till February. The warning poses serious disruption risks to functioning of hospital as contractual workers comprise a large number involved in essential daily works of hospital from hospital attendants, cooks, bearers to sanitation and security guards.
