Bangalore ambulance strike continues

Their grievances are many, as the 108 ambulance service employees from across the state continued their strike on Thursday.

The employees’ union submitted a memorandum to chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda in evening.

“When we approached the CM, he requested us to withdraw the strike and told that two of our demands are being looked into. However, he never clarified which demands he was referring to. To our knowledge, none of our demands have been considered,” said K Someshekhar, president, employees’ union, Karnataka State Arogya Kavacha.  

The memorandum highlights the poor pay structure of the employees. “We want job security for the employees. Hence, we want the employees of 108 emergency services to be absorbed as government employees,” Someshekhar told DNA.

Also, the transfer policy for 108 employees is rigid. “While during appointment it is said that the employees will be put on duty in their native districts, within months they are transferred to different locations,” said Someshekhar.

He was present at the dharna of 108 employees at the Freedom Park, along with nearly 3,000 employees from all over the state.