PGI Chandigarh contract workers warn of strike over unpaid dues
Nurses’ Strike Kerala
Chandigarh: The contractual employees at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, have announced an indefinite hunger strike from April 25, to protest against the non-payment of outstanding dues amounting to crores of rupees. If their demands remain unfulfilled, they have also warned of a complete 24-hour strike starting at 6:00 AM on April 27.
The PGI Contract Workers Union announced this decision in a letter to the institute's Director, stating that "The pending demands of contract workers are not being taken seriously," which has had a severe impact on their lives.
Additionally, a senior union official remarked, “Although an administrative dispute is ongoing between the hospital and the contractors, it is ultimately the poor workers who are having to bear the brunt of it.”
The senior union official also added, “We have been forced to take this step. If our grievances are addressed by April 24, we will not proceed with the shutdown.
The protest is also linked to the daily struggles faced by the workers. For instance, approximately 90 parking attendants are being paid a mere ₹9,000, as opposed to the mandatory DC rate (approximately ₹22,000). Furthermore, the union has alleged that the company, Gravity, illegally deducted between ₹5,000 and ₹8,000 from the March 2026 salaries of employees in the Dietetics Department.
According to the Tribune, this dispute involves financial irregularities and delayed payments. In this regard, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) emphasised that "the payment of arrears amounting to ₹16–20 crore for hospital attendants is being delayed," even though the Central Government had approved the funds for this purpose as early as April 2024.
Furthermore, there are also reports of a "deliberate delay in the payment of approximately ₹65 crore in outstanding 'equal and comparable wages', pending since January 2024.
