Contract healthcare workers stage dharna over wage delays in Hyderabad

Contract healthcare workers staged a dharna at the Directorate of Medical Education in Hyderabad on Thursday, demanding timely payment of salaries and fulfilment of the State government’s pre-poll promise to raise wages to Rs 26,000 per month.

Hyderabad: As part of their ongoing week-long protest demonstrations, contract healthcare workers in government hospitals on Thursday participated in a mega dharna at the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), Koti office. 

For the past year, the sanitation contract staff, patient care workers or bedside assistants and security personnel, have been demanding regular pay and enhancement of their wages to Rs 26,000 per month. 

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“Around 20,000 healthcare workers in various government hospitals do not receive their salaries on the first of every month. Imagine the financial burden that such families have to incur and take private hand loans,” said M Narasimha of Telangana Medical Contract Employees and Workers Union (affiliated with AITUC).

The contract healthcare workers demanded redressal of their grievances related to wage delays, poor implementation of labour laws, and stagnant pay scales.

Enhancement of wages to a monthly Rs 26,000 was a pre-poll promise of the present State government. “We have been demanding enhancement of salaries for a long time. Why can’t the State government implement its poll promise and ensure contract employees receive salaries on the first day of the month?” the protesting workers demanded.

Watch workers protest video below: