Shillong, Oct 2: The Meghalaya Emergency Management and Research Institute Workers’ Union (MEMRIWU) has decided not to call off their indefinite strike, and continued with their demand for immediate removal of the GVK EMRI.
This came a day after the state government has promulgated the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), which prohibited holding of strikes by the field staff of the institute with immediate effect.
Emergency services across the 11 districts were affected after employees of the ‘108 ambulance service’ went on strike for the past three days.
Due to the strike, a fleet of ambulances run by the GVK EMRI were seen parked outside the office of GVK EMRI at Lawmali.
The staff alleged the state government of being indifferent to their 36 charter of demands.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, president of the union, Roypar Kharraswai termed the ESMA a dragonian law to silent the workers from fighting for their rights.
“We have decided to continue with our indefinite strike till our demands which include removal of the GVK EMRI, are fulfilled,†Kharraswai said.
He said the union has only staged peaceful protests for the past one year but the state government chose to turn a deaf ear to various grievances which include shortage of manpower, ambulances, salary and others.
The union has also supported the demand of the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organization (CoMSO) for instituting of an independent inquiry or a CBI inquiry into the functioning of the GVK EMRI.
“There is need to institute an inquiry as the government has sanction Rs 1.47 lakh per ambulance per month for maintenance, and yet the condition of the ambulances is pathetic. The institute had in report claimed that there were 48 ambulances but in reality we have only 43,†Kharraswai said.
It was also alleged that the management of the institute has offered the agitating staff 10 per cent increment with arrear on condition that they have to sign an agreement that they can no longer protest in the future.
“We have rejected this offer because of the fact that it is our right to get increment and arrear which is due since 2017,†one of the staff said.
On the other hand, a member of the union, Ebenezer Mawlong said that the GVK EMRI is not fit to run the emergency services in the state. He asserted that the state government should consider bringing the emergency services under the health department.
The staff also protested against the management authority for allegedly resorting to deduction the field staff’s salary despite direction from the state government to maintain status quo.
Earlier, the state government had constituted a high level committee to look into the 36 charter of demands which include enhancement of salary, enhancing manpower and ambulances.