342 security guards at Delhi's LNJP hospital go on strike, allege delay in salary and fraud

New Delhi: Around 342 security guards at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital here went on strike on Wednesday against delayed salaries.

They allege that their salaries are being delayed by at least three to four months for the past 38 months.

They demanded from the Delhi government and the guard agency that their salaries and provident fund (PF) be paid on time.

They also say that they work for 12 hours (4 hours more than their 8-hour shift).

Talking to IANS, Harish Kumar, a security guard working at the hospital, said: "We have been working since 2020 in this hospital. In 2020, we were told we would be given Rs 661 per day for working 26 days. This would have made our salary for 26 days more than Rs 17,000. But, now we only get Rs 10,800 for 26 days and Rs 12500 for 30 days."

Kumar also said there has been no increase in salaries since he joined. They also don't receive any other employee benefits.

"We didn't get any PF or ESI card, no Diwali bonus or any other employment benefits for the past three years," Kumar said.

The protesting security guards have alleged fraud and delay in their salaries. This is the third time they have gone on strike demanding timely salaries and their due PF.

"Our salaries are always delayed. We receive our salaries after gaps of two months. And even after the delay, we are not getting the entire amount. This is the third strike. The first, was on August 30 and the second was on September 15." he added.

We demand our past due PF and the salary mandated by the Delhi government, said Kumar, adding that they have not received the salary for September till now.

"When we raise the issue they say that the bill is yet to be passed by the Medical Director's (MD) office. However, when we reached out to the MD office they said that the bill had already been passed. " Kumar said.