Chandigarh/Ludhiana Jan 12

Following a strike of employees, the emergency ambulance services 108 remained crippled today.

The meeting between the employees and the Health Minister remained inconclusive and the 108 Ambulance Employees Association announced continuation of the strike.

The employees of Ziqitza Healthcare are demanding the regularisation of services, better salaries, Rs 50 lakh accidental insurance cover as well as the reinstatement of the sacked employees.

Ambulances from the state have been stationed at the Ladhowal toll plaza in Ludhiama. A meeting of union members was held with Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh but it failed to reach any conclusion. Now, the meeting is scheduled with the Chief Minister tomorrow.

Union chief Manpreet Nijjer said the 108 ambulance service was started in 2011 and since 2013, they had not got any increment. Every company and department give 10 per cent annual increment.

Main demands

• Eliminate contract system and regularise jobs
• Salaries to be increased to Rs 30,000-35,000 on the Haryana Govt pattern
• 10% annual increment, accidental insurance and job on compassionate basis
• Expelled personnel should be called back

“We have been working for 12 hours at a stretch. If any employee tries to raise his voice, then he is either thrown out of the job or transferred. No help is provided to the family if any employee dies during the accident. During Covid, we did duties without any hitch and many employees tested positive as well but no special allowance or appreciation was given to us,” said Nijjer.

“We have not been given any casual or privilege leave and now weekly offs are also being cancelled,” he said.

The main demands of the employees are to eliminate the contract system and regularise jobs, salaries to be increased to Rs 30,000-35,000 on the Haryana Government pattern, employees, who have been expelled, should be called back, 10 per cent annual increment, accidental insurance and job on compassionate basis.

“We have gone on an indefinite strike till our demands are met. The government will be responsible for the consequences. We have stationed our ambulances on the roadside because we do not want anybody to face inconvenience,” he said .

The 108 ambulance is instrumental in ferrying the trauma cases to hospitals. However, reacting to the employees’ demand, Ziqitza Healthcare’s Manish Batra, Project Head, said the wages of the staff were fixed according to the government minimum wage notification under the skilled category (DC rate) and the employees were covered under the Employee’s State Insurance Scheme of India.