Hospital contract workers warn of massive protest at Koti on December 5

Contract workers in Hyderabad’s government hospitals, including sanitation, security, and patient care staff, staged a one-hour protest demanding higher wages. Organised by TMCEWU and affiliated to AITUC, the workers highlighted that they are paid Rs 11,000 instead of the mandated Rs 13,600.

Hyderabad: Contract workers handling sanitation, security and patient care in government hospitals on Tuesday participated in a one-hour protest demanding an increase in their monthly salaries.

Led by Telangana Medical Contract Employees and Workers Union (TMCEWU), affiliated to AITUC, the contract workers participated in a protest at Fever Hospital, Nallakunta, Gandhi Hospital, Osmania General Hospital (OGH) and King Koti Area Hospital on Tuesday.

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“It is a serious injustice that contract sanitation, patient care, and security workers in government hospitals are still not receiving mandated salaries. All the workers should be receiving Rs 13,600 but are only being paid Rs 11,000. The State government and third-party agencies are exploiting labour,” said M. Narasimha, State General Secretary, TMCEWU,

The workers demanded the State government invite new tenders and, in line with current prices (cost of living), ensure a minimum wage of Rs 26,000.

Workers have not seen a minimum wage increase for the last 15 years, and the current Congress government’s failure to implement even the salary recommended by the Minimum Wages Committee, which it constituted, is proof of the government’s neglect towards the workers, Narasimha said.

The one-hour protest programme will continue daily in government hospitals until the fourth of this month, and if the issue is not resolved by then, a massive protest will be held at Koti on December 5.