Ward attenders continue protest as Bengaluru's Victoria Hospital fails to reinstate them

Bengaluru: Fifty-six ward attenders at Victoria Hospital continued their on-site protest against their termination from services even as police personnel threatened to file FIRs against them on Thursday.

The Group 'D' employees, who were hired on a contractual basis and have served at the hospital for 10 to 25 years, are also protesting the non-payment of salaries for over two months.

On Thursday, members of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), representing the employees, along with the hospital's representatives, met Deputy Labour Commissioner H L Guru Prasad at the Karmika Bhavan on Bannerghatta Road.

Guru Prasad told DH that he had advised the hospital's medical superintendent, Dr. Deepak S, to allow these workers to work at least until the next conciliation date on May 15.

"I was informed that he would not be able to make this decision since the dean of the institute is not present and will only return on Monday. So I suggested that they be allowed to work until his return, but they are not keen on doing so," he said.

Dr. Deepak stated that the matter was between the outsourced agency and its laborers, as a new agency took over the tender process in March and employed new staff.

"We, the admins of hospitals, have summoned the agency concerned and spoken to them. They have asked for some time for clarification, and we have been given time from the Labour Department until May 15 to have discussions with the agency," he said.

Sharath, district committee member of AICCTU, said the protests would continue until the workers were reinstated and paid. "VV Puram police threatened to file FIRs against us, but we are going to continue our protests until the ward attenders are allowed to work," he said, noting that this was also adding pressure on existing housekeeping staff, who were taking on ward-attending duties due to acute staff shortages.