IGMC, Shimla, staff to go on 4-hour pen-down strike from today

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 19

The employees of the Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and Hospital will go on a four-hour pen-down strike from tomorrow till February 25 after the authorities concerned refused to accept their demand for regular pay scales.

Patients visiting the IGMC are likely to face inconvenience due to the four-hour strike. The employees said that they would go on a full-day pen-down strike from February 26 if their demand was not fulfilled.

The RKS employees, who are working as lab assistants, data entry operators, dark room assistants and Class IV employees in the hospital, are demanding regular pay scales after the completion of eight-year contractual service.

They were on a pen-down strike in the hospital for the past few days. However, after getting an assurance from Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Rahul Rao, they had decided to call-off their strike if their demand was met by Monday.

RKS Employees’ Union president Arvind Pal said, “We have only received assurances and nothing has been done to fulfil our demand. Therefore, we have decided to continue with our strike.

Services at one registration/cash counter would be provided for emergency patients only, he added.

Dr Rao said the demands of the RKS employees were under the consideration of the state government.

He added that alternative arrangements had been made in the hospital so that the patients do not face inconvenience.

Meanwhile, hundreds of activists of the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) staged a protest at the IGMC here against the retrenchment of sweepers, ward attendants, security personnel, staff nurses, data entry operators, mess cooks and helpers, lab technicians and other personnel who worked during the Covid breakout and 10 security personnel.

After the protest, the CITU delegates had a meeting with contractors and the IGMC administration, who agreed to take back the retrenched Covid workers and security personnel.

CITU state president Vijendra Mehra urged the IGMC management to provide justice to the workers. He said that sacking Covid warriors working at the IGMC was shameful. He added that the retrenchment of 10 security personnel was the violation of the law of the country. He also called for intensifying the protest against the sacking of the IGMC workers.

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