GMC forms panel to look into mess workers' demand

Tribune News Service

Advertisement

Amritsar, July 15

Government Medical College has constituted a committee to look into the demand of mess workers after a representation was made by them before the college principal. They have been demanding a hike in their salary.

Principal Dr Tejbir Singh said, “I am waiting for the recommendations of the committee before proceeding further in the matter. I am not aware of any official instructions regarding increasing the salary of mess workers.”

The college has eight mess halls and canteens. A large number of employees are engaged to prepare the food for the students.

Earlier, the mess workers had made a representation before the college authorities that they were being paid Rs 3,200 per month. They said in a letter issued by the Secretary, Medical Education and Research, in October 2016 instructed the medical colleges in the state that mess workers should be paid salary as per the Minimum Wages Act.

“As such, we are entitled to get Rs 8,350 per month,” said a mess worker.

The workers working on a contractual basis stated that Rs 3,200 per month was fixed in 2010 and in the past many years, the salary had not been revised.

“The college authorities must consider the representation as the wage of workers is around Rs 100 per day. Even a manual unskilled worker earns more than that. We had continued working here with a hope that someday our services would be regularised. But we are forced to work on a meager salary,” complained another mess worker.