RIMS sanitation staff agitates for full salaries

Ongole: About 130 sanitation workers on outsourcing at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ongole staged a dharna on Thursday demanding the hospital management and contractor provide full salaries, PF, ESI and other facilities as per the rules and guidelines by the government.

The RIMS Sanitation Employees Union leader explained that the contractor is paying them just Rs 6000 to 7000 through bank accounts but taking sign on empty vouchers with revenue stamps. He said that they are not receiving any ESI and PF services by the contractor and said that he is threatening them when questioned about their rightful facilities as per the government rules.

He said that the contractor locked up four female workers on Wednesday in a room for agitating in front of the hospital and demanding the RIMS superintendent for justice. He said that as per the promise of the RIMS superintendent Dr Gopinath, they went to work on Wednesday calling off the protest, but the contractor threatened them.

On Thursday, the contractor tried to bring outsiders for work by paying Rs 500 per shift and asked them to complain to whomever they have confidence. The sanitation workers demanded the RIMS management to see the contractor pays them a full salary as per the rules along with the ESI, PF and other facilities and warned that they will continue the agitation until their demands are fulfilled.