250 staffers of Parel animal hospital go on mass leave over poor pay

Over 380 animals, including cows, dogs, cats, horses and kites had to bear the brunt of a mass strike involving more than 250 staffers of Bombay SPCA's animal hospital in Parel. The employees went on a casual leave on Monday, to protest against the hospital's refusal to give them a pay hike. The striking staff included more than 100 ward boys, drivers, peons and other helpers, who are the backbone of the hospital.

Sanjay Jadhav, an office clerk and a representative of the Mumbai Labour Union, said, "We fed the animals their morning meal before starting the strike. Our demand is a hike of Rs 5,000. Everything is getting more expensive day by day, and we too need to make ends meet. We have been asking for a raise for many years. We haven't even received our arrears for the past two years."

The hospital gives its staff a pay package which includes composite pay, dearness allowance (DA) and an increment. Their composite pay is revised every three years. While the salary was last revised in 2012, the hospital is still paying the staff as per the older pay scale, but has assured them that they will be paid the arrears soon.

For example, an office clerk who has been working for 15 to 20 years gets around Rs 13,000 per month, while ward boys, peons and drivers get Rs 1,340 per month, excluding the DA and increment. They are still receiving the same amount, though their pay was revised to Rs 2,600 per month in 2012.

Secretary of SPCA and in-charge of the hospital, Retd Lt Colonel JC Khanna said that the delay is owing to various reasons. "Last year, the union members were busy with the assembly elections and other times, some official or the other was on leave. We are a charitable organisation and cannot afford to pay them this amount. We will have a meeting in the next few days."

According to him, the pending arrears cumulatively amount to a whopping Rs1 crore.

The worst hit by the clash between the authorities and staff, were the animals. Vets had to treat sick animals in the kennels as there was no one to take them to the hospital.

However, the OPD was functioning with the help of 14 BSPCA staffers. A handful of volunteers, including Thrity Gazdar, a member of the working committee, brought in packed food as no one was there to cook.

With a shortage of people, it took them a long time to cover each shelter, and the animals could be heard yelping as it was way past their feeding time. The volunteers did not rest till each animal had been fed. "Whatever happens, the animals shouldn't go hungry," said Gazdar, as she fed an injured kite scraps of meat.