In a bid to secure higher wages, Class IV sweepers at Surat's New Civil Hospital have initiated a strike, resulting in a disruption of sanitation services at the healthcare facility. The protesting workers, who have taken to the streets outside the superintendent's office, insist they won't return to work until their wage increase demands are met.
The sweepers allege that a salary hike promised six months ago has not been implemented. They further claim that their current remuneration of Rs 12,000 falls short of the Rs 21,000 they believe should be their rightful wage, in line with the Prime Minister's recommendations. The workers were further spurred into action upon hearing news of higher salaries being paid to their counterparts in Rajkot, leading them to call the strike.
As part of their protest, the sanitation workers blocked the road outside the Superintendent's office at the Surat Civil Hospital. Their rallying cry, "Fulfill our demands," underscores their resolve to continue the strike until their wage increase requests are met.
In response to the strike, Ganesh Govekar, the Superintendent of Surat Civil Hospital, expressed the view that the sanitation workers have been misled. He clarified that, similar to the wage increase in Rajkot Civil Hospital, the salaries of sanitation workers in Surat have also been adjusted. He stated that currently, Rs 12,000 is directly paid into workers' accounts, while the remaining amount is transferred to the Employee's State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). The total remuneration, he said, amounts to Rs 16,000 per worker.
Govekar further labeled the strike as unjustified and stated that steps are being taken to communicate with the protesting workers to clarify the situation. In the interim, to ensure the smooth operation of the hospital, separate cleaning staff have been deployed to fill the void left by the strikers.
