Hathras Contractual Health Workers Continue Protest for Third Day Over Job Demands

The protest by contractual health workers in Hathras continued for the third consecutive day as employees demanded equal pay for equal work, job security and regularisation, among other demands. The workers have said they will continue their agitation until their demands are fulfilled.

At around 11 am on Thursday, a large number of contractual health workers reached the Chief Medical Officer’s office. They raised slogans and staged a demonstration. After the protest, the workers continued their sit-in at the office for the third day.

The contractual health workers are demanding equal pay for equal work, regularisation of their services and service security. They have also demanded a family floater cashless health insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh.

Their other demands include the Employees’ Provident Fund, or EPF, house rent allowance, or HRA, dearness allowance and gratuity. The workers are also seeking compassionate appointment for the dependent of an employee in the event of the employee’s death during service.

Rishabh Gautam, district president of the Contractual Health Employees’ Association, said several employees in the Health Department had been working on contract for more than 18 years. Despite this, he said, they were not receiving salaries and facilities equal to those provided to permanent employees.

Gautam demanded that contractual health workers be regularised and that an immediate increase be made in their existing salaries. The association has said that its protest will continue until action is taken on the demands of the employees.

Claim of impact on health services

It has been claimed that the movement by the employees has affected health services in the district. According to the information, the agitation has had an impact on the outpatient department, or OPD, of the district hospital, as well as maternal and child health services, vaccination and the National Child Health Programme.

It has also been stated that various medical services being run in rural areas have been affected because of the employees’ protest. The claims regarding the impact on these services were made in connection with the ongoing agitation by the contractual health workers.

Employees to leave for Lucknow on 12 October

After remaining on a sit-in for the third consecutive day, the contractual health workers are now preparing to take their movement forward. The employees will leave for Lucknow on 12 October.

The protesting workers have said that they will continue their agitation until positive action is taken on their demands. They have made it clear that the protest will not end until the issues of equal pay, regularisation, service security, insurance and the other demands are addressed.