PIMS Medical and Education Charitable Society chairman Surjit Singh Rakhra visited the institute on Saturday and met the paramedical staff and other sections of the employees, who have been on strike for over 20 days now, pending clearance of their salaries and other dues.
The chairman was accompanied by society member and senior Akali leader Paramjeet Singh Raipur.
"We are concerned about the salaries of the staff. Each working individual has the right to claim salary. We have discussed the issue in detail with the senior functionaries at PIMS and assured the agitating staff that within a month, their pending salaries would be cleared," said Rakhra, while talking to HT.
"All other issues have been amicably resolved and agitating staff would rejoin their duties from Sunday," he claimed.
Later, PIMs sources told HT that the minister has assured the employees that a month's salary would be deposited into their accounts by Monday.
"By May 20 all backlog and pending payments would be cleared as per the assurance given by Rakhra. He also requested all the agitating employees to report back on duty," said source inside the hospital.
"We have no faith on the PIMS management. After the management releases our salaries by Monday, as promised today (Sunday), we will consider rejoining our duties. We are fed-up of false promises."
{{/usCountry}}"We have no faith on the PIMS management. After the management releases our salaries by Monday, as promised today (Sunday), we will consider rejoining our duties. We are fed-up of false promises."
{{/usCountry}}The paramedical and clerical staff of PIMS have been on strike since April1 as they have not been paid for three months.
Due to non clearance of dues for months, the cafeteria workers, daily wage safai workers and food supplier situated inside the PIMS premises were also reportedly on the path of agitation. Even diesel sale outlets had refused to sell fuel to PIMS.
Principal director Dr Kulbir Kaur, resident director Ajay Aggarwal, vice-principal Dr Rajeev Arora attended the meeting.
PIMS is being managed by Punjab minister for rural development and panchayats Surjit Singh Rakhra led charitable society, PIMS Medical and Education Charitable Society. The institute has been handed over to the society on 99-year-lease.