Contract employees stage lunch-hour protest at KGH, seek regularisation
Contract employees at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam staged a lunch-hour protest to demand regular employment and improved benefits. The employees have threatened a potential duty boycott if their demands for salary and job security are not met by early September.
Why it matters
The protest underscores the broader issue of labor rights and the precarious nature of contract work in the public healthcare sector.
Contract employees of the Health Department formed a human chain at the King George Hospital (KGH) premises on Friday, as part of a lunch-hour protest, demanding regularisation and other service-related benefits.
The protest, held from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., was organised by the Andhra Pradesh Medical and Health Contract Employees J.A.C., Visakhapatnam District. Employees from different departments and cadres participated, wearing black badges.
The JAC said the demonstrations were being held during lunch breaks so that patient services were not affected.
The JAC has demanded immediate regularisation of all contract employees who have been serving in the department for years. Until regularisation, it has sought payment of 100% gross salary, Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) facilities, full-pay leave for employees who fall ill, health cards for employees’ families, and Request Transfer and Mutual Transfer facilities.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in