Tamil Nadu PHC sanitary workers raise issues of pay and working hours
Welcoming the three-shift for the hospital medical staff, the workers say that the morning shift should start at seven o'clock in view of safety and travel facilitiesfor these staff and the three shift system should be implemented immediately.
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Primary Health Centers Reproductive and Child Health Contract Sanitary Workers' Welfare Association and Tamil Nadu Multipurpose Workers Association handed over a request letter to health minister Ma Subramanian making various demands for regulating pay, working hours and demanding appointment orders for those who haven't received it.
Even though the state health department has increased the stipend for sanitary workers from Rs 1,500 to Rs 15,000 after recruiting them as multipurpose workers in the government hospitals, many of them still awaiting recruitment because of limited vacancies.
The Tamil Nadu Government Multipurpose Hospital Workers Association along with Doctor's Association for Social Equality demand equal pay for equal work for sanitary workers and appointment orders for those who haven't received them yet. The government had recruited 941 sanitation workers as general medical workers in the first phase last year and their monthly stipend was increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 15,000.
"Though the workers welcome this move, they say that more than 50 of them have not yet received the appointment order. They also demand equal pay for equal work as there is disparity in the stipend being given to them in different districts. The RCH sanitation workers were appointed as multi-purpose medical staff and give them pay rise when the vacancies for multi-purpose medical workers are available, " said Dr R Shanthi, secretary of Doctors' Association for Social Equality.
Welcoming the three-shift for the hospital medical staff, the workers say that the morning shift should start at seven o'clock in view of safety and travel facilitiesfor these staff and the three shift system should be implemented immediately.
Dr Shanthi added that out of 941persons appointment, 100 names have not yet been declared in the list and the government should specify why the workers have not been selected.
Out of a total of more than 2,000 sanitation workers, only 1345 sanitation workers have been declared as multi-purpose workers by the government.
The minister has assured to take appropriate action and look into the demands.