Workers protest at IGMC over delay in payment of salaries

Contract workers at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), including cleaners, ward attendants, ECG staff, mess workers, other paramedical staff and laundry workers under the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU), today staged a silent protest against the hospital management and contractors for delayed salary payments and demanded that the outstanding dues of the workers be paid by December 10.

During the protest, CITU state president Vijendra Mehra accused the hospital management of exploiting workers. He said there was a conspiracy to remove over 150 workers, including ward attendants, cleaners, security staff and other paramedical employees.

He said these workers had not been paid salaries for the last two months. Furthermore, no worker from the outsourced staff had received salary for the month of November despite today being December 7. “Workers have also been asked to perform additional tasks without extra pay,” he said.

“We will not tolerate such exploitation and are prepared to launch a decisive movement if our demands are not addressed. If necessary, workers are ready to go on strike to ensure job security,” said Mehra.

He further said demands like minimum wage, EPF, ESI, holidays, eight-hour workdays, timely salary payments by the seventh of every month, bonuses, changing rooms and two sets of uniforms were still pending.

“Contractors at the IGMC are openly violating labour laws and the agreement signed on June 12 at the Labour Department,” said Mehra.

Following the protest, a delegation of the union met Dr Rahul Rao, Medical Superintendent, IGMC, who assured them that a meeting with the union and the hospital management would be held on December 10 in which their demands would be discussed.