COIMBATORE: Temporary workers hired for security and cleaning jobs at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) said the private company they work for has cut their pay without providing clear reasons. They said their salaries have been reduced by as much as Rs 6,000 in the past few months.
Meanwhile, people from the company's management said they did not cut anyone's pay in violation of government rules. They said workers can check their attendance using their employee number, and as some workers did not pay attention to marking attendance, their attendance might have been recorded by someone else with the same name.
Sources said a private company — Krystal Group — has hired people for security and cleaning jobs at many government hospitals and medical colleges across the state. At CMCH, it hired 125 security workers and 558 cleaning workers to handle jobs at the college, hospital and hostels.
"The security staff were paid more than Rs 20,000 until May, but it was suddenly cut to Rs 19,000 in the last two months. The cleaning staff's pay was also cut without clear reasons. The hospital management and district administration should step in and fix this," said a security worker, on condition of anonymity.
When asked, persons attached to the firm said there has been no deduction in the wages, and it has been paid based on the wage fixation ordered by the Coimbatore district collector and with the consent of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME).
"Earlier, the firm paid Rs 20,500 (take-home salary) to security staff and Rs 19,500 for housekeeping staff. Now, it has been fixed at Rs 19,700 based on the collector's order. Earlier, the firm had paid extra to the workers.
Now, as the tender was renewed, the firm has to follow the rule and will add increments in the coming years. There have been no unnecessary deductions," said an official from the firm.
Those who failed to check their attendance properly will face deductions, he said. "Many people working under these two categories failed to check their attendance. They put their attendance only with their names and not with their employee number. If there are many people with the same name, it would cause confusion and would reflect on their salaries. We ask everyone to verify their attendance at the end of the month before the salary process," he added.