Assam’s 108 emergency staff strike enters fourth day, services hit statewide
Nearly 3,000 employees of 108 emergency service have been protesting since December 1
Silchar: Employees of Assam’s 108 Mrityunjoy Emergency Response Service — including ambulance drivers and technicians — continued their statewide strike for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday, disrupting emergency medical services across the state.
Protesters at Guwahati’s Chachal area alleged on Thursday that instead of addressing their grievances, authorities have terminated nearly 700 employees over the past two days.
Nearly 3,000 employees of the 108 emergency service have been on a strike since December 1. Their key demands include job regularisation, fair wages and payment of long-pending overtime dues.
“We work round the clock but are paid for only 10 hours, which is lower than many industrial labourers. We risk our lives, we are on duty even during holidays and emergencies, but the appraisal offered to us was insulting,” All Assam 108 Mrityunjoy Employees Association president Pranjal Sarma said.
Sarma added that employees submitted their demands to authorities several times before launching the agitation.
“Most of us have given nearly two decades of our prime years, but we don’t feel secure anymore. We asked for a respectful increment and basic protections, but instead of addressing our concerns, authorities are threatening us, and 700 of us have now lost our jobs,” he said.
The state government has moved to clamp down on the strike.
Termination letters issued to employees on Monday evening accused the workers of insubordination, dereliction of duty and wilfully disrupting essential services.
In the letters shared by employees, the authorities described the protest as an “illegal strike action” and a case of “major misconduct” and said that the strike had caused “serious dislocation of work and trouble to the common people of Assam.”
Sarma said the strike will continue on Friday and will only be withdrawn if the state government comes forward with a negotiable offer.
