BENGALURU: Employees of the 108 Arogya Kavacha ambulance service, who had threatened to go on an indefinite strike from Wednesday night, have withdrawn their strike call temporarily after talks with the government.
The 108 Employees Association vice-president Paramashiva said, “A meeting was held with the Principal Secretary to the Health Department and they have assured that they will meet our demands with the available grants. They said they will talk to the minister as soon as he returns and take a decision. They assured that the government is with us”.
“We have had trouble from the organisation (GVK EMRI) and demanded to take action against them. The officials have given a verbal assurance, but we have requested a written assurance. If not, we will go on strike again. Since the Principal Secretary called and talked to us, we are temporarily withdrawing the strike. They said they will hold meeting again with Minister and take a decision. We will talk to GVK and adivse our staff to return to work as usual”, Paramashiva said.
After the meeting with the 108 ambulance drivers and staff nurses, the Principal Secretary said a decision on their demands will be taken after talking to the minister. The officials promised to fulfill the demands within two days.
The ambulance staff had placed several demands including pay revision and warned of mass resignation if their demands not met. The staff have given a 10-day deadline to publish order in written form. But GVK and the government have now assured to fulfill demands. GVK had also reportedly withheld salaries for two months.
Main demands of 108 employees
- Pay revision along with annual increment every year
- Arrangement of vehicles to perform duty in three shifts
- Abolish zone-wise pay fixation system and implement uniform pay
- Fixation of pay for staff on seniority basis
- Payment of wages within 7th of every month as per Labour Department rules
- Rs 50 lakh compensation to family of staff who die in accidents
- Arrangement of suitable rest rooms for staff
- Demand to change shift timings
Earlier, 108 Employees Association vice-president Paramashiva had said they will stop ambulance service from 10 pm on Wednesday if their demands are not fulfulled. “450 ambulances are stopping, 3,500 staff are participating in strike. We too have life, family, but no salary or security. How can we live with Rs 12,000 salary? Grants have not released, and officials say they will see what they can do with the existing grants”.
