Patients suffer as GMSH staff go on strike

The protesting employees started raising slogans in front of the office of director,health services,around 2 pm. They were demanding that their arrears pending since June 2010 be paid immediately. Sonu,leader of the striking employees’ union,said: “We had been promised twice about it but the dues were not cleared. When we ask the contractor about our dues,he says the hospital administration has not paid him the amount. The contractor has told us that the hospital authorities have not given him any payment for the last three months. We have no option but to resort to protesting.”

Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr G Dewan said: “There is no issue between the hospital administration and contractual employees. We have outsourced these services and the issue is between the contractor and his employees. There is no payment that is due on our part.”

As many as 128 employees were arrested by the UT police after the authorities called them to stop the striking employees from creating so much of noise in a restricted area by raising slogans. They were taken to the Sector-17 police station. They were released later,though had not resumed duty till the filing of this report.