SHILLONG: The GVK EMRI impasse could drag on with the 108 ambulance service provider not in a position to offer any increment to the staff beyond 10 per cent without government support even as the people bear the brunt of the ongoing indefinite strike by the staff that kicked in on September 30.
Sources in the GVK EMRI informed that the first meeting of the government-constituted committee to resolve the impasse was held in July in which 15 points were discussed.
According to the sources, the next meeting was held on August 5 which discussed the minutes of the first meeting. The union members refused to discuss anything further and walked away asking for explanation for salary deduction.
The sources said salary was deducted for unauthorised absence from duty on the principle of ‘no work, no pay’.
No meeting was convened by the government as both the health secretary and the minister are out of town.
The sources said that those not aligned with the union have been forced by the members to stop the service as the latter took away the keys and drove the ambulances to Shillong MIMHANS premises where GVK office is located.
They said some were not supporting the strike but were forced to join in. There are around 205 field staff.
The sources also said that GVK EMRI management had reached out to the staff appealing to call off the strike while offering a 10 per cent increment with effect from April 1 of this year even without any additional financial support from the government.
“The offer was received well by the employees, but the union leaders stood in the way of resolution of the issue,” a source said.
“The firm has tried its best as their main issue was salary, replacement of ambulance equipment etc that are dependent on government support,” the source said.
Stating that the firm works on fixed rate term with yearly escalation as per wholesale price index (WPI), which was about 3.7 per cent over the last two years with third year approval still pending, the source added that it is not possible to accommodate any increment beyond 10 per cent without government support.
“This project has served well and successfully for the past decade, but is now in danger of closure for reasons other than performance. It will be a loss to the citizens of the state besides a livelihood loss to 250 direct employees and many indirect employees,” the source said.