Fourth class employees on contract at Sayaji and Gotri Hospital went on strike

Demand minimum wages salaries and better facilities at workplace

Fourth class employees on contract basis at Sayaji Hospital and Gotri Hospital went on strike demand minimum wages from the contractor. They put allegations on the contractor for not paying them salaries as per decided norms. They also demand better facilities at workplace as they are working between Covid patients inside isolation ward.

Amid the global corona epidemic, the fourth class employees of city’s Sayaji Hospital and Gotri Hospital went on strike due to non payment of their minimum wages. They are under contract of Manita and Chetan Nakarani and working for years at various positions including cleaning inside the hospitals and now isolation ward for Covid 19.

As many as 400 fourth class employees of Sayaji Hospital and Gotri Hospital went on strike on Tuesday on the issue of salaries as well as inadequate facilities. The cleanliness work also halted due to the strike as authorities also rushed to the spot in such situation.

Contractor Chetan Nakarani said, about 200 fourth class employees are working inside Sayaji Hospital and about 160 employees are present on the job. Only about 50 employees went on strike wrongly. The question of their attendance has been resolved and their dues are also being paid. They are also being paid as per the rules. Similarly, the fourth class employees on duty at Gotri Hospital have gone on strike holding the hands of the union.

Sonalbahen Joshi who is on duty at Gotri Hospital, said the minimum wage fixed by the government at Rs 450 is not paid by the contractor. If the salary is calculated as per the new minimum wage act, it is Rs 17,000 to Rs 18,000. But the old salary is paid by the contractor which is Rs.332 and employees are exploited.

Prakash Solanki said they has made several representations to the contractor to increase the salary and also to the superintendent of the hospital as well as the dean. But the salary is not increased by the contractor. In present time they are working inside the isolation wards of Covid 19 and alleged that no safety facilities was provided to them by the contractor.

They shouted slogans against the contractor and threaten to intensity their agitation if their demands are not resolved.