Safai karamcharis protest non-payment of salaries for past four months

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 3

As many as 60 sanitation staff (safai karamcharis) working under Sulabh International Organisation went on a strike and stopped work in protest against non disbursement of their salaries for the past four months. They also held a demonstration outside Guru Nanak Dev Hospital here today.

Guru Nanak Dev Hospital had outsourced its sanitation work by signing a contract with Sulabh International Organisation for maintaining hygiene and improving sanitation work at the health institution in 2010.

A member of the sanitation staff, Vicky, said for the past four years they were getting a meager salary of Rs 3,550 per month and that too in an irregular manner. Due to this they had to face a lot of difficulties to make their both ends meet. He said the organisation did not provide any identity cards to them so that they could avail free medical services at the premier hospital. He alleged they were not allowed any weekly offs and in case any employee had to take a leave, the organisation cut his wage dues from his salary.

In a communiqué to the Local Body, Medical Education and Research Minister, Anil Joshi, they sought directions to the organisation to increase their wages. They demanded that their salaries should be disbursed through banks, besides providing other benefits. The protesters said they had taken up the matter with Guru Nanak Dev Hospital authorities a number of times, but nobody paid heed towards their plight.