Meeting on August 14 to resolve woes of Arogya Kavach employees

MANGALORE: Minister for health and family welfare U T Khader exuded confidence that the impasse surrounding strike by 108 Arogya Kavach employees will settle down with the high court intervention. Reiterating that employees of 108 Arogya Kavach ambulance services are bound by their contract to GVK EMRI (Emergency Management and Research Institute), he said a meeting will be held at Vikasa Soudha on August 14 to sort out issues.

Interacting with reporters here, Khader said while the ambulance and equipment contained in the 108 ambulances state wide is the property of the state government, the employees are at the discretion of GVK-EMRI that has employed them. "The government will not hesitate to stand by the employees, if GVK has violated any terms of employment as mentioned in their contract," Khader said adding GVK could be penalised if they are in the fault.GVK will also have to revoke the suspension of the 194 employees as directed by the court, he said adding 10 employees have been directed to appear for the August 14 meeting with proof to show that their employers have violated the contract conditions. "We cannot sit in judgement over their demands for better salary or job security," Khader said, adding at the same time it will not wash their hands of giving them better working environment.

The employees at the same time also have give a written undertaking that their association will not support colleagues who indulge in discipline and their employers take action in such instances, he said. Hinting that the court judgement based on public interest litigation was timely, Khader said the government will submit a compliance report to the high court on developments in this issue from date to what transpires at the August 14 meeting.