Contractual workers of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) on Saturday submitted a memorandum to Chandigarh BJP president Arun Sood against the failure of the central government to increase their salary as per orders of the Punjab and Haryana high court.
Sood assured them that he will take up the matter with Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya and sought twodays time. Over 300 contract workers also took out a rally seeking fulfilment of their demand on Saturday.
This comes a day after they had to call off their one-day strike after HC barred them from doing so. The HC order came on a PIL filed by the PGIMER seeking quashing of a notice dated March 23 issued by contractual workers for a one-day strike on March 25.
Over 3,000 contractual employees, under the banner of the Contract Workers’ Union, are pressing for their demand for wages on par with regular employees.
The contractual staff includes sanitary workers, hospital attendants, medical record clerks and lower-division clerks.
“The union received a copy of HC’s order around 8 pm on Thursday and decided to call off the strike. PGIMER has filed a PIL against its own staff, which is inappropriate,” said Ashwani Kumar Munjal, chairman, PGI Contract Workers Union.
{{/usCountry}}“The union received a copy of HC’s order around 8 pm on Thursday and decided to call off the strike. PGIMER has filed a PIL against its own staff, which is inappropriate,” said Ashwani Kumar Munjal, chairman, PGI Contract Workers Union.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier in March, the hospital director had written a letter to the Union ministry of health and family welfare, demanding a hike in the salaries of the institute’s contractual staff within one week. The contractual workers had threatened to go on strike even then, but had called it off after the director’s letter.