Shillong, July 18: Workers of the GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (GVK EMRI) have decided to call an indefinite strike in protest against the management’s alleged adamant attitude in fulfilling their various charter of demands.
This may affect emergency services in the state if the government and the management did not address the workers’ concerns.
The this decision of the emergency workers was taken at an executive committee meeting of the Meghalaya EMRI Workers Union (MEWU) held after staging a sit-in demonstration in the city on Thursday.
MEWU Publicity secretary, Joseph H. Pyngrope said that the union has decided to call for an indefinite strike with immediate effect.
“Field staffs have been asked to hand over ambulance keys to the respective deputy commissioners of the eleven districts by Friday,†Pyngrope said.
Earlier while speaking at the sidelines of the sit-in-protest at the parking lot near Additional Secretariat, MEWU President, Roipar Kharraswai said that the issues of the field staff were not addressed till date, despite seeking the intervention of the state government on several occasions.
“We had met the chief minister twice besides health minister and government officials but we did not get any help. This has compelled us to come out to the streets to demand for our rights,†he said.
Kharraswai said that the Union strongly opposed against the move to terminate the services of as many as 12 field staffs, who refused to comply with the transfer orders.
“If the management does not stop this illogical transferring of field staff, we would have no other option but to halt our services,†he said while demanding from the state government to take over the emergency services to itself.
The demands of the Union include 20 percent increment of salary, sanctioning of manpower and local to local transfer of staffs.
“It is important to note that if a Khasi field staff is being transferred to Garo Hills, problem of communication will arise which will affect and put the patient lives at risk. Therefore, we are demanding that transfer should be based by taking these things into consideration,†he said.
