Wednesday 2 October 2013

108 Ambulance staff threaten to go on indefinite strike - The Hindu

Staff attached to the GVK EMRI 108 Ambulance service have threatened to go on a statewide indefinite strike if the management fails to fulfil their various demands.
The demands included job regularisation, reducing their shift timing from 12 hours to 8 hours, and a raise in their salaries.


The date of strike will be decided based on the management’s stand in Labour Court in Chennai when a case filed by the staff a couple of years ago comes up for final hearing on Friday.
The staff said that people should support the strike.
They distributed pamphlets to people as part of the campaign they launched at the Salem Collectorate on Tuesday.
“We are seeking support from the people as the strike would badly affect them. Though our intention is not to affect the common man, we have no other go,” said district secretary of the staff association C. Pragasam.
“We are forced to work for 12 hours a day (for six days a week). According to the agreement during recruitment we need to work only for eight hours a day,” he added.
“At times we extend the shift by an hour or two if we get a call shortly before the shift is over. On the other hand the monthly salary drawn by staff who have served the organisation for five years is a mere Rs. 9,000. This is too less for the effort that we put in,” the staff said.
They urged the management to end victimisation of those who raise their voice.
They said that the staff in Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka too had gone on a strike with these demands.

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