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Ludhiana Civil Hospital contractual workers go on strike, seek regularisation, salary hike
As over hundreds of contractual employees proceeded with the strike, health services at the Ludhiana Civil Hospital were affected, patients left stranded
Contractual workers of the Ludhiana Civil Hospital went on an indefinite strike on Monday to press for their demand of regularisation and a hike in their salaries. As over hundreds of contractual employees proceeded with the strike, health services at the hospital were affected, patients were left stranded.
Employees hired under the User Charges Policy in 2014, including staff nurses, rank four employees, lab technicians and operation theater assistants, opened a front against the state government demanding regularisation against 200 vacant posts and salary hikes applicable at DC rates.
The DC rate is the wages of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers, which is decided by the district-level committee headed by deputy commissioners. Protesters alleged that they are being paid on a part-time basis, despite serving 12-hour long duties.
“As per the policy, only ₹4,500 per month is being paid to the rank four employees and ₹6,500 per month to the staff members. As frontline Covid-19 warriors, we gave 16 hours long duties, and even to this day, we give 12-hour long duties at par with regular employees who get ₹90,000 as salary. We have made several requests before state ministers, Ludhiana administrative bodies and MLAs. We will begin a hunger strike by next week if the government continues to discriminate against us” said Raj Kumar, president of the User Charges Mulajhim Sangharsh Committee.
Several female contractual workers were seen protesting with young children in their laps. They alleged that they were not even given maternity leaves.
Beant Kaur,27, protesting with her three-month daughter in her lap said, “I was not even given maternity leave, they deducted two months’ pay for the leave I took before my delivery. As I come from a humble background, I resumed work 15 days after giving birth. Despite several vacant residential quarters reserved for regular employees on hospital premises, we pay rent outside for our accommodation. If the government is not in a position to regularise us, they can at least increase our salary.”
As per the legal norm, the strike announcement was made three days ago. Hospital administration was given an ultimatum to make alternative arrangements in absence of contractual workers. However, patients who were unaware of the protest had faced a lot of trouble getting their work done.
52-year-Sheetal, who came to get the RT-PCR report, said “I have been running from one counter to another for the last two hours. The computer operators are saying that they are unable to find my report as the staff who manages reports and stuff is on strike. I have a journey planned, for which I urgently need my report but here nobody seems to care about our emergencies.”
According to a senior hospital official, trouble has mounted for several departments as the civil hospital, already reeling under a massive staff crunch has not been able to make any strong arrangements to cater to patients.
Staff working in obstetrics and gynecology department revealed that in place of 12 staff members, they were left only with five workers due to the protest, while the emergency ward was given 2 replacements for seven of their staff members participating in the protest.
Speaking to HT, senior medical officer at the civil hospital, said, “Of course, medical facilities were hit due to the protest and alternative replacements too remained low as we could not depute much staff from other hospitals as it would impact their services. However, the deputy medical commissioner met the protesters today and has assured them of a meeting with director of health services regarding their demands.”
