Coimbatore Medical College Hospital contract staff protest over salary delays
Protest
Coimbatore: Protests erupted at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on Saturday as temporary contract staff employed in housekeeping and security services demanded timely payment of their salaries.
The workers, hired through the private agency Krystal Group, gathered in front of the dean’s office to voice their grievances on Saturday, citing repeated delays in salary disbursement over the past three months.
A total of 707 contract workers are currently deployed at CMCH— including 558 in housekeeping and patient care, 125 in security, and others in supervisory roles. Housekeeping staff are paid Rs 19,700 per month, while supervisors receive Rs 19,100 per month. However, for the past three months, salaries have not been disbursed on time, causing distress among workers who rely on the timely income to support their families.
Speaking to TNIE, a woman in housekeeping said, "Normally, we receive our salaries during the first week of each month. Recently, however, the employer has been delaying payments, which affects our livelihood. Most of us rely on our monthly income to support our families, and this delay disrupts our daily lives."
In response to the protest, officials from CMCH and representatives of Krystal Group held discussions with the agitating staff. The workers returned to duty after receiving assurances that pending salaries would be credited within a day. Sources close to the matter attributed the delays to server-related issues at the company’s headquarters and sluggish bill clearance processes by the Directorate of Medical Education.
Meanwhile, CMCH authorities have stepped up efforts to improve patient care and discipline among contract staff following a series of complaints alleging that some staff were collecting bribes from patients. Over the past two months, seven contract workers were terminated over bribery allegations, and investigations are ongoing against five others.
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According to TNIE, "The workers have been strictly warned not to demand bribes from the public. Anyone found engaging in such activities will be terminated immediately. To address the wheelchair issue, additional wheelchairs and stretchers have been allocated to the outpatient wards and the super speciality block, where patients come for scans and other examinations. Supervisors have been directed to ensure that staff are present to assist in transporting patients during outpatient hours," said a senior CMCH official.
