Ward attendants of Bengaluru's Victoria Hospital protest 'removal from service'

Bengaluru: At least 56 people who have worked as ward attendants at the government-run Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru staged a protest near the 'C' Block on Wednesday, alleging they were "illegally" removed from service. 

Many of these attendants, who are contractual workers, had served for 10 to 25 years, some even for nearly 30 years. They even formed a crucial part of the hospital's services during the Covid-19 pandemic, said Maitreyi Krishnan, advocate and state committee member, All India Central Council for Trade Unions (AICCTU), who was representing the views of the ward attendants. 

Dr Deepak S, Medical Superintendent, Victorial Hospital, said the responsibility to hire these contractual workers was outsourced to an agency and the previous contract that these workers were hired under had ended nearly two months ago. 

However, Maitreyi said, "These employees were informed that their contract had changed, but there is nothing on paper. There was no prior intimation, too." 

A labour officer who visited the protest site noted that the new agency had refused to hire the workers employed by the previous agency.

"The workers also said they had not been paid their salaries in the past two months. We have already informed the hospital that this is their responsibility to sort," she said. 

The hospital management will hold a meeting with the workers, trade union body, agency responsible, and social welfare and labour departments on Thursday.