Workers of NIMHANS Hospital, Bangalore, form Union

Unorganised workers of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) formed a union, ‘NIMHANS Pragathipara Workers’ Union’, affiliated to AICCTU and its inaugural General Body was held on 22 Feb. 2014. The workers demanded same payment and other service conditions for the unorganised workers engaged in same and similar kind of work; regularisation of all unorganised workers and bring them under the pay rolls of NIMHANS; Service weightage; Hospital care allowance and Risk Allowance in addition to Privilege Leave, Casual Leave and Government Holidays; mandatory ESI to all and entitlement for treatment in NIMHANS Staff Clinic; Recruitment of more workers to reduce the work burden on existing lesser number of workers and to stick to Patient – Worker Norms for hospitals, etc. The General Body decided on the Demands Charter to be palced before the NIMHANS administration.

Dr. Pradnya Rajesh Bhargave of NIMHANS SC/ST Welfare Association, V Muthukumaran, Legal Advisor to NIMHANS Employees Association, Ravi R, Vice President of National Tuberculosis Institute Non Gazetted Staff Association addressed the gathering along with Com. Shankar, All India Vice President AICCTU among others.

The General Body also decided to send a Workers’ Charter of Demands to be placed before the NIMHANS administration and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of central government for speedy resolution.

NIMHANS is one of those handful of select medical institutions like AIIMS-Delhi, PGI-Chandigarh and JIPMER, Pondicherry. Recently, it has also won the status of a Deemed University. But, in spite of being a hospital run by the central government, none of the labour laws are in force. The central government, which is also an appropriate government, is showing utter neglect on unorganised workers’ issues.

 

Back-to-previous-article
Top