Agartala, December 24: Hundreds of outsourced cleaning workers at Tripura’s chief referral hospital, AGMC and GBP Hospital, staged a protest on Tuesday, demanding the immediate release of their pending salaries for October and November.
Carrying placards and posters, the agitating workers—many of them women—raised slogans against non-payment of wages and accused authorities of negligence. The protesters, affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Safai Mazdoor Sangh, claimed that despite repeated appeals to higher authorities, including the Residential Medical Officer and the owner of the outsourced agency, their demands remained unmet.
For several years, over 500 cleaning workers at AGMC and GBP Hospital were employed through Sulabh Sanitation, an outsourced agency. However, after the agency was replaced recently, issues with delayed payments started,” said one of the protesters.
In addition to clearing pending dues, the protesters demanded a hike and regularization of their monthly salaries. They also sought the replacement of the current outsourcing agency, holding it responsible for payment irregularities.
The workers urged Chief Minister Manik Saha to intervene and resolve the crisis, emphasizing their financial struggles with the year-end approaching.
They further stated that complaints had been submitted to the District Magistrate (DM), Director of Health Services, Director of Labour Department, and the Medical Superintendent of the hospital.
Issuing a 48-hour ultimatum, the workers warned of intensified protests if their dues were not cleared immediately.
The protest highlighted the growing discontent among outsourced staff in Tripura’s healthcare sector, calling for urgent administrative intervention to address their grievances.
