BENGALURU: The NIMHANS Pragatipara Workers Union (NPWU), affiliated to the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), on Wednesday highlighted the plight of some contract workers of the premier institute who have been protesting ever since they were terminated from service on July 9.
In a press statement, the union claimed that though travel is prohibited after 9 pm due to night curfew, NIMHANS unilaterally changed the timing of hospital workers and asked them work till 9.30 pm. “When the workers expressed difficulty to do so and sought transportation, the management threw them out of work on July 9. Since then, the workers have been protesting,” the statement said.
Basavaraj, an employee protesting in support of the others, said that in the radiology department, their afternoon shift timing was changed from 1.30-7.30 pm to 2-9 pm. “The workers asked for the shift to at least end by 8 pm, as the last BMTC bus runs till then. Of the 19 workers, 15 are women. The institute refused and fired all of them,” he added.
They even complained to the labour commissioner, but NIMHANS did not provide a response on the matter. The management has refused to speak to them, the workers alleged. In their defence, NIMHANS clarified that 16 workers were from Sree Vinayaka Enterprises, an outsourcing agency. “None of them were employed by the institute.
The agency defines the nature of their work, postings and timings and the issue is solely between the workers and the company. NIMHANS has nothing to do with it,” the institute said in a statement signed by the registrar.