The ward attenders, who are members of the Karnataka General Labour Union (AICCTU), held sit-in protests at the campus last week.
Credit: DH file photo
Bengaluru: Following protests by the ward attenders of Victoria Hospital regarding their arbitrary removal from service, the hospital's management has agreed to let them resume work from Wednesday.
On May 8, 55 ward attenders and Group D staff, employed through an external agency, were asked by the hospital to no longer report to work. The hospital management said that the employing agencies changed two months ago and the previous agency's contract had ended.
The ward attenders, who are members of the Karnataka General Labour Union (AICCTU), held sit-in protests at the campus last week, demanding to be reinstated immediately and be paid their salaries pending for over two months.
On May 10, they were detained by the VV Puram police and released in the evening.
Dr Ramesh Krishna K, Dean-Director of the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), said that a special committee held several meetings on Monday and Tuesday with the previous contractor, a Swiss agency, and the current agency Spoorthy, to discuss the next steps.
"We have convinced the new agency to appoint them immediately on humanitarian grounds, and they have agreed. Necessary arrangements will also be made to pay the salaries of these staff for the two months that they have worked at Victoria Hospital," he said in a statement.