SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 21: Over 320 nursing employees (GNM) working under outsourcing company Frontline at Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital (SNMMCH) Dhanbad have boycotted duty from the early morning of Tuesday in protest against non-payment of their salary due for two months.
General Nursing Midwives ( GNM) charged that despite repeated requests, the local manager of the outsourcing company failed to make payment in the last two months. Since they are facing a hand-to-mouth crisis due to non-payment of salary, they decided to stop duty at wards of the hospital from the first shift of the day.
Agitating GNMs claimed that they had given prior information to the outsourcing company manager as well as SNMMCH superintendent about their work boycott for salary non-payment but they did not take it seriously.
In the meantime, on Tuesday outsourcing health employees including ward boys, lab technicians, sample collectors who were enrolled during Corona pandemic and worked at the railway station, bus stand for screening people, have also served notice for stopping duty for non-payment of salary. “We have given a memorandum to the deputy commissioner ( DC) about non-payment of salary for the last three months. After getting his response we would announce agitation,” said an outsourcing health employee who had come to the collectorate to submit a memorandum to the DC.
Para Medical Employees Association coordinator Raju Mahto said that the indifferent attitude of the outsourcing company manager has compelled the GNMs to take an agitation path. “They would return on duty only after they get payment,” he said.
Following the strike of GNMs, health services in wards of the hospital looked affected. Patients complained that no nurse took care of them till 12 noon despite calling her.
The local manager of Frontline outsourcing company Sujit Sharma’s mobile phone was found switched off.
SNMMCH superintendent Dr AK Barnbal when contacted said that he had called agitating GNMs for talks and the matter would be resolved soon. He said since the local manager of the outsourcing company has been under treatment after the operation of the ailment, salary payment of GNMs has been delayed. But it will be cleared soon, he added.
“I have good plans for these girls and would write to the government for absorbing them in the college hospital,” said Dr Barnbal.
