FPJ Impact: Contractual Mira-Bhayandar Hospital Staffers Call Off Mass Leave

Mira-Bhayandar: In a major relief for patients undergoing treatment at the Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Civil Hospital in Bhayandar, the contractual staffers called off their indefinite strike, planned from July 21, to protest against non-payment of salaries for the past four months.

The Free Press Journal had prominently highlighted the woes of the contractual staffers coming from a poor economic background.

Planned under the aegis of the Vivek Pandit led-Shramjeevi Kaamgar Sanghatana (SKS), the strike call was given by 55 nurses, 40 ward boys, five X-ray technicians and 54 sanitation workers. They have been denied wages since April owing to non-renewal of contract signed with the manpower supply agency.

Hospital gives written assurance

A panel led by civil surgeon Dr Zafar Tadvi met a delegation of contractual staffers headed by SKS working president Sultan Patel. The hospital gave a written assurance that wages of March will be disbursed on July 27 as the contract with the manpower supply agency had been extended till August.

The remaining arrears will be cleared by the agency immediately after it gets the funds from the state government. Dr Tadvi also informed that the deputy director of health services, Thane, had floated fresh tenders to appoint a new agency to ensure that such delays in paying wages are not repeated.

“Relying on the promises given by the authorities, the contractual workforce has agreed to withdraw their mass leave,” confirmed Patel.