The management of Jawaharlal Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) has spent Rs.3.76 crore towards court cases and legal proceedings against daily wage workers since 2008, according to Jipmer Protection Committee.
Meeting
The Protection Committee comprising leaders from political parties such Communist Party of India- Marxist (CPM), CPI, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi(VCK) and daily wage workers met here recently to discuss this and various other issues.
Later talking to media persons, the president of the committee T. Murugan said, “Around 850 workers have been working as daily wage staff in the institute for more than fifteen years and resorted to industrial dispute redressal to regularise their services. So far the institute has spent Rs.3.76 as legal expenses which was a disproportionate amount compared with any government spending on court cases. We demand a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the spending.”
Employees claim
Jipmer Hospital Employees Union raised an industrial dispute claiming regularisation of the daily rated employees and the grant of designation as Multi- Tasking Staff and all attendant service seniority and other monetary benefits and backwages. These employees are doing several tasks such as cleaning, assisting the patients in several ways including their toiletry needs, shifting through stretchers, maintenance of gates, entry of records.
Mr. Murugan also alleged when Dr. T.Ravikumar was the director of Jipmer, several infrastructure works were entrusted to outside agencies for execution leaving the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
Mr. Murugan said there should be a thorough scrutiny on procurement of medicines and equipments done from 2008. The committee urged the management to withdraw cases against daily-wage workers and regularise them based on seniority.
Filling of vacancies
The remaining vacancy should be filled through list of people registered at the Puducherry Employment Exchange for Group B and C. Shortly, the committee will conduct massive agitation asking the management to meet the demands of the workers.