Even as health authorities issued a stern warning to agitating 108 ambulance service staff to resume duty latest by Tuesday night, the agitating staff members maintained that they would continue with the stir come what may.
“We will wait for the outcome of the next round of talks with the Labour Department officials on July 25 before chalking out our future course of protest” said CITU-led 108 Services Contract Employees Union Secretary T. Satish leading the protest on Tuesday.
Blind-folded ambulance staff staged a demonstration in-front the Prakasam Bhavan here and asserted that they would not fear the health authorities move to terminate their services and appoint freshers in their place.
District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Rama Tulasiamma said 30 of its 32 vehicles are on the road. As many 86 patients were shifted to hospitals on Tuesday.
Expressing solidarity with the agitators, CITU District Secretary Ch. Mazumdar said “we will not keep quiet if freshers are recruited in place of the ambulance staff on the rolls”.
The ambulance staff, whose strike entered the fifth day on Tuesday demanded pay hike, job security and an end to harassment by the management of the ambulance service.
