Shillong Nov 11: Health Minister, A L Hek has informed the employees of GVK EMRI that the state government was willing to remove the company after following proper procedures, but did not promise them about job security.
The employees of GVK EMRI who met Hek on Monday evening informed that they discussed with him for several hours their demands including the demand to remove the GVK EMRI and to ensure job security for them.
The employees started their hunger strike since October 29 demanding better salary, more man power, stop pay cuts, and provide good ambulances among other demands.
The government was funding the GVK EMRI providing emergency services by operating the ‘108 ambulance’ in the state.
The emergency services have stopped for almost a month due to a series of agitations by the employees of GVK EMRI.
Hek said that the meeting was inclusive as he would again meet them after they had met and discussed among themselves.
The Meghalaya Emergency Management and Research Institute Workers’ Union (MEMRIWU) president, Roypar Kharraswai said that the discussion with Hek was on the demand to remove GVK EMRI from the state and job security.
“The minister said that the government was willing to remove GVK EMRI, but it has to follow certain procedures,†Kharraswai said.
Stating that the meeting with Hek was not satisfactory, Kharraswai said that it was decided to go back to all the members of the Union who took part in the agitation and take a collective decision on future course of action to be taken.
“We have ended our hunger strike, but we will not resume our duty as long as the government could not resolve the issue. We will intensify our agitation by adopting different strategy,†he said.
On job security, he said that the minister has maintained that he cannot give any assurance on this matter.
“We feel that the state government should not throw us even after removing GVK EMRI because we have dedicatedly served for 11 years and tried to give our service the best for the interest of the people in need,†he said.