Non-teaching staff at Kashibai Navale Hospital go on indefinite strike over non-payment of 8-month salary

The management is in talks with the protestors, and their payments are likely to be cleared soon, says official

Hundreds of non-teaching staff at Smt Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital have gone on an indefinite strike from Tuesday, demanding the release of salaries pending for the past eight months. The protestors include Class III and Class IV workers who have split into two groups and demonstrating on alternate days to ensure that patient services are not disrupted. The hospital authorities have claimed that healthcare services remain unaffected.

The protestors include Class III and Class IV workers who have split into two groups and demonstrating on alternate days to ensure that patient services are not disrupted. (HT PHOTO)

The protesting staff expressed frustration over the long delay in payments and said they were left with no option but to stage strike. “We have families to feed and bills to pay. Eight months without pay is inhuman,” said one of the security staff on protest.

Navale hospital is a 650-bed facility with over 1,500 non-teaching staff, including nurses, ward boys, technicians, security guards, pharmacists, counsellors, among others. According to the staff, they have allegedly not been paid since December 2024.

Another protestor on request of anonymity, said, “We have been working without pay for eight months. How are we supposed to survive? We kept waiting patiently, but nothing changed.”

Dr Krishnakant Patil, dean, Smt Kashibai Navale Medical College and General Hospital, said both indoor and outdoor services remain unaffected. “The occupancy of the hospital is currently lower and despite the protest over 50% staff are on duty. The management is in talks with the protestors, and their payments are likely to be cleared soon. The management has recently cleared the dues of nursing staff and doctors,” he said.