Mumbai: Class IV employees of government and civic-run hospitals are planning to strike work on June 18, as a mark of protest over non-fulfilment of their demands. They include sweepers, ward boys and other essential staff who work in government-run hospitals and medical colleges.
This comes after the state government deciding to consider a tender initiating privatisation of Class IV jobs in hospitals. Existing employees feel such a move will put their jobs at risk.
Devidas Badhe, president of the Fourth Class Employee Association Coordination Committee said, these employees play a pivotal role in providing patient services.
While the number of patients was low before, now, there are more patients but the strength of the Class IV workers has remained unchanged even as their workload has increased manifold.
“There are many vacancies, but the government is considering bringing in private workers to fill these posts. This might affect the jobs of the current workers. Our demand is to stop privatisation, for which we are planning a one-day protest in Mumbai,” said Badhe.
Krushna Shivsagar, treasurer of the organisation, said the state government has reduced nearly 25 per cent of posts. “We will be protesting but hospital work will not be affected.
The government must pay attention to our demands even if it does not take notice of this protest. We will go on a maha morcha when the next assembly session begins,” he said.
