108 Ambulance
Bengaluru: Unfazed by health minister UT Khader’s warning of strict action if they resorted to a strike, 108 ambulance drivers Monday said they would rather quit than continue working under poor pay and service conditions. Karnataka Rajya Aarogya Kavacha 108 Employees’ Association also set the state govt a 15-day deadline to address its list of demands, including salary hikes.
Failing this, the association said it would launch an indefinite strike by staying away from work.
The association claims that nearly 3,500 employees across the state are affected and their demands relate to decisions taken at the policy level which cannot be resolved by the contractor alone. With the 15-day deadline now in place, the state govt and the service provider face mounting pressure to find a resolution before a strike disrupts one of Karnataka ’s most critical emergency healthcare services.
In representations submitted to the health department over the years, 108 ambulance staff have alleged that annual increments were discontinued for several years and promises relating to minimum wages and arrears were not implemented despite discussions held with govt officials and service providers. Because this is not a govt job, we can simply leave the job.
Responding to the threat of strike, Khader said that govt was not the employer and that the ambulance service was operated through a contracted company. If an ambulance driver is unavailable when a patient needs emergency care, we will take strict action without fail,” the minister said. This is a public service and we too deserve a better life,” said Paramashiva, a driver.
“If the drivers have any issue, let them deal with the company. We will intervene only if the company fails to pay them as promised. If they go on strike, we will hold the company accountable. For us, patients are important. “When we seek help from govt, they threaten us with action. We aren’t scared. We’d earn more as drivers in the private sector.