Sacking of 56 ward attendants from Victoria Hospital sparks protest

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Fifty-six ward attendants, mainly women from Dalit and marginalised communities, were abruptly fired from their positions at BMCRI (Victoria Hospital) in Bengaluru on May 8.

Despite several years of service ranging from 10 to 30 years, they were unjustly labelled as contract labourers, depriving them of the rights they deserved as permanent employees.

In response to this injustice, the affected workers, backed by Karnataka General Labour Union (AICCTU), protested outside Victoria Hospital, demanding immediate reinstatement. These individuals, often overlooked, worked on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The management's explanation for the terminations was a change in contractors, which was promptly dismissed by labour officials and representatives of the social welfare department.

They pointed out that such actions violated labour laws, which forbid the substitution of one group of contract workers with another.

Following the protest, authorities from the labour department intervened and scheduled a meeting to address the issue and the workers' demands.

Karnataka General Labour Union (AICCTU) has demanded the reinstatement of the 56 workers, along with safeguarding their legal entitlements.