Long working hours, wages not paid, say NHM workers

Gurgaon: National Health Mission (NHM) workers in the district are staging a silent protest against the new roster, which requires ambulance drivers to work for 12 hours a day. They also alleged that the salaries of over 650 workers have not been paid for the past five months. This, the protesters claimed, is against labour laws and the right to dignified working conditions.

On Monday, scores of NHM workers at the Sector 10 General Hospital and various primary health centers across the state, including drivers and emergency medical technicians, wore black ribbons to assert their non-conformity to the new rules. According to the new roster, which came into effect from December 1, ambulance drivers have to work in two shifts — from 8am to 8pm and another from 8pm to 8am.

Speaking to TOI, protesting drivers complained that the long working hours mean that they don’t have time to take breaks for meals, which takes a toll on their physical and mental health. “This is unjustified. We are on government duty and we too have the right to dignified working hours. While on duty, we give our work our best and leave to bring the patient as soon as we get an alert requiring our services. But we also get tired and if this tiredness interferes while a person is driving ambulance or attending to a patient in an emergency, it’ll be grossly detrimental. Our protest is for seeking our rights,” said NHM Karamchari Sangh district chief Hari Raj.

He further said a similar protest will held on Tuesday. “If our demands are still not met, we’ll suspend work on December 27 and 28 for two hours. We know that our work is vital and so, we won’t have a day-long strike,” he said.

State NHM director Amneet Kumar, however, asserted that the new roster was prepared as per the guidelines issued by the Centre. “Ambulance services need to be functional round the clock, for which 12-hour shifts are necessary. It’s not in violation of any labour rights. Had it been so, the government wouldn’t have implemented it across the country,” Kumar argued.

Apart from the long working hours, workers said their salaries are not paid on time. They said while the Rs 9,000 that comes from the Centre is paid on time, the remaining Rs 11,000 hasn’t been paid for five months now.

Meanwhile, district chief medical officer J S Punia refuted the claims. “We ensure that timely payments are distributed,” he said.