108 Ambulance staff strike evokes partial response,service not hit

Malkeet Singh from Amritsar,state president of Employee Association 108 Emergency Ambulance Sewa,said,“We are getting paid for eight hours but we work for 12 hours a day. We demand reduction of working hours and increase in salaries. Also,to date,we have never been vaccinated by state government despite the fact that we carry patients and dead bodies round the clock and are vulnerable to so many diseases and infections. We also want that company should take back our employees fired on baseless allegations.”

The employees also alleged that the company wanted them to clean ambulances but was not ready to pay for the work.

While Singh claimed that out of a total of 240 ambulances in Punjab,only 5-7% were working on Sunday,the services in Ludhiana were largely unaffected as only 10-15 employees were seen sitting on strike at Civil Hospital and only three ambulances were not working.

A driver of 108 ambulance,requesting anonymity,said,“Only the staff members turned out by the company were on strike and they were joined by some who were free during daytime as they had night duties. We were working throughout the day and no services were hit.”

Jatinder Sharma,project head of 108 ambulances from Ziqitsa Health Care company,said,“Strike was mostly ineffective as only three-four ambulances were not working. We turned out only those employees who were not working as per rules. Employees are being paid adequately as per labour rules.”