Shimla: Sacked Covid warriors and security personnel of Indira Gandhi Medical College protest

Shimla: Sacked employees of Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) protested at the heart of Shimla city, in the ridge near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, demanded that their jobs be restored.

The contracted, outsourced employees, enlisted for security services, among others, at the hospital, were terminated after the hospital authorities roped in another outsourcing agency for these jobs.

Nearly 200 Covid warriors, including sanitation workers, ward attendants, security personnel, staff nurses, data entry operators, mess cooks, helpers, lab technicians and 24 security personnel, at the IGMC were sacked.

Under the banner of CITU, the protesters defied Section 144, tying black bands around their mouths and holding a silent protest under the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Shimla's Ridge Ground.

The protesters warned of a larger, statewide protests if their jobs weren't restored.

"In violation of labour laws, the government terminated the services of over 200 employees. These included (contractual) workers, who served people and the hospital with diligence and sincerity during the Covid-19 pandemic. If the sacked security personnel and Covid warriors don't get their jobs back, we'll launch a bigger agitation," Vijendra Mehra, president, CITU, Himachal Pradesh, said.

"In the next phase of our movement, we will observe Satyagraha, and alongside, there will also be a Jail Bharo Movement, arrests, Chakka Jam, Raj Bhavan Gherao, and a march to the secretariat. Rendering 200 Covid warriors is a crime that puts humanity to shame. Sacking 24 security personnel also marks a flagrant violation of the law of the land," Mehra added.

Claiming a scam in the way the sacked security workers were contracted to the job, the CITU, Himachal, president added, "There was a scam in the manner in which the sacked security guards were given their job contracts. We have written to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting an investigation and action against those involved in the scam.

The scam will be exposed to the public very soon and we will move the high court against it. We are calling for the immediate restoration of all the sacked employees and the stepping up of protests against the contract scam," Mehra said.

The sacked security personnel claimed that they, along with the Covid warriors, were mentally tortured at IGMC.

They said the sacking was a "clear violation" of the agreement between the IGMC management and the union under Section 25H of the Industrial Disputes Act.

"I was a security guard at IGMC for 11 years and was removed from service, along with my colleagues, without even being given the opportunity to serve notice. How are we supposed to make ends meet? We have no other recourse. If our demands aren't met, we'll intensify the protests along with our family members and children," a sacked security personnel told ANI.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) intensified its protest against what it called the 'Hire and Fire policy' of IGMC, Shimla post the sacking of 200 Covid warriors and 24 security personnel.