Bhopal: Staff of Ziqitza Healthcare on strike over salary cut; admin justifies deduction

Bhopal: Staff of Ziqitza Healthcare Limited went on strike on Sunday following which 108 ambulances were off the roads in various districts of the Bhopal. The staffs were protesting against alleged unreasonable deduction in salaries, according to a recent media report.

Ziqitza Healthcare Limited (ZHL) is an emergency response service provider in the state which operates 108 ambulance services in 51 districts of the state.

108 ambulances in various districts are seized by striking employees as new drivers which are appointed by the firm had not joined the strike. The seized ambulances were released by the striking employees after the intervention of the police.

As per the news report, the employees are raising voices for past four months against deductions in their salaries, and according to association representative, the ZHL has earned a huge profit by making these small deductions.

ZHL employee's association representative Nutan Yadav told Free Press Journal, "We had raised the issue many times before the authorities, we got assurances but they continue to persist. So we were left with no option but to go on strike to draw the attention of management to redress our grievances and remove pay anomalies."

It has been reported that the firm has claimed that the amount being deducted in salaries is justified.

Interacting with media, ZHL company director Jitendra Sharma elaborated that earlier the basic salaries of the striking employees were Rs 3000 and gross salaries come to around Rs 10,000 and PF was deducted on basic salaries.

Adding that the firm has increased the salaries of the employees after the issue of low salary was raised he said that the basic salaries from Rs 3000 were increased to Rs 5000 and so now PF will be deducted on the basic salary which is now Rs 5000 and this is the reason for more deduction being made.

Sharma said that our ambulances in various districts were seized by the striking employees but with the help of police, we got them freed from their possession.

"Actually, we have to follow terms and condition of contract which we made with National Rural Health Mission, so we work as per the guideline otherwise, we will lose the contract," he told Free Press Journal.