Mangalore, Jan 23: Nearly 300 non-teaching employees of the Kasturba Medical Hospital, Attavar, Mangalore staged a 'black badge protest' in front of the hospital entrance on Wednesday evening after their duty hours demanding an increase in their salaries according to the central or state government pay scale.
The protesters said the Manipal Education Institutes started in the year 1952 has the pay scale of the year 1996. Non-teaching staffs come under MAHE University have to receive pay scale under Medical Council of India. But the staffs are receiving very low pay. Now this has to be revised to the level of state or central government pay scale, they demanded.
Addressing the protestors, Vishwanath Shetty, President of Mangalore unit, Bharathiya Mazdoor Sangh, said the 62 year old institute has no revised pay scale to its non-teaching staff. During the year 1996, vice chancellor of the university had written a letter to assistant labour commissioner, Mangalore mentioning that institute has pay scale more than state government. But later it has cut off the increments and incentives. After 2003 no staffs has received the incentives, he said.
The staff had submitted two memoranda to the management demanding an increase in their salaries on January 15. Even management had assured of revised pay scale. But they had received only an oral assurance, hence they decided to protest silently, he said.
Sudarshan Puttur, president of KMC, Mangalore Employees Association said even after discussing the issue with management for several times, the salaries have not been revised. Employees have to be paid salary according to the central or state government pay scale. Any one among these pay scales can be accepted by the employees. But none of these are implemented here. Employees without the incentives facing nearly Rs 5,000 of loss every month, he said adding that present state government basic pay scale is Rs 9, 600 but we have Rs 4, 000 as of now, he added.
However, during the increment we receive Rs 20 to 80. This is not in a proper measure. Compare to raising cost of commodities, the pay is not acceptable, he said.
He said we are protesting wearing black badge at work place. Our demand is to have revised pay scale. Protest will be continued until our demands are met, he said.
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