Workers of the 104 health helpline service, whose employment was terminated with effect from February 15, have urged the Karnataka Government to ensure that they are reinstated by the company that bags the new contract.
Piramal Healthcare Company, a Hyderabad-based firm, was running the health helpline service.
Addressing mediapersons in Hubballi on February 18, the former staff, who did not want to be named for fear of being targeted by the company, claimed that services of over 400 staff of the ‘104-Health-line’, including 250 in Hubballi and 150 in Bengaluru, had been terminated from February 15, as the Karnataka Government had failed to clear dues of the company.
They alleged that a blame game was going on between the government and the company in which they had become scapegoats. They alleged that the local representative of the company had given misleading information, resulting in termination of their services.
They alleged that they were forced to sign letters that their full and final settlement had been completed in order to get the experience certificate, without which they cannot apply for jobs elsewhere or even to the company that bags the new contract for 104 healthline services. They claimed that Piramal Healthcare Company had not cleared all their dues, including the 10% annual hike that was denied for the last two years.
Clarifying that they are not demanding regularisation of their services, they said they just want the government to put a condition that their services should be reinstated by the company that bags the new contract.
