EMRI ambulance workers want services to be taken over by Government(Salem) - The Hindu

Workers of ERMI 108 Ambulances and members of Tamil Nadu Government 108 Ambulance Workers Union resorted to one day token fast highlighting various demands here on Thursday.

The workers said that they had not been regularised for long. The private management, which runs the ambulance service, was not providing adequate wages to the workers.

Life-saving

They pointed out that they had been working round-the-clock since the services were emergency and life saving.

But the firm, they alleged, asked its workers not to drive the ambulance fast since they had to save on fuel. Timely admission of critical patients in hospitals was the essential objective of life saving. But the firm has asked us to drive at 50 km speed so that fuel could be saved,” one of the workers said. They also alleged that the firm was sulking away from spending on vehicle maintenance.

High speed

Since ambulances were driven in high speed, they should be periodically maintained. But unfortunately even proper cleaning was not carried out, they further said.

They also resorted to anti-workers' stance and hence the ambulance services should be taken over by State government directly, they urged.

The Hindu