Following protest, firm accepts to reinstate workers aged above 55 at GRH after talks

Contract company reinstates workers above 55 after protests, highlighting issues of age discrimination and worker rights at Government Rajaji Hospital.

Following talks between workers and the contract company that has taken the tender for hiring workers at Government Rajaji Hospital, the firm has accepted to reinstate workers aged above 55 years, who were earlier expelled when the company took over the contract recently. 

As the company without any formal notice or information, informed the workers that they were expelled on Wednesday (May 14), the workers along with the Tamil Nadu Government Hospital Auxiliary Workers Union – COITU staged a protest on the hospital premises to reinstate the expelled workers.

Later in the same day, as the company agreed to negotiate with the workers, they withdrew their protest and returned to work.  

During the talks, M. Baskaran, State secretary of the Union, said that the contract company stated the previous companies’ practice of hiring workers even aged above 60 as the workers did not fit into the definition of any ‘formal’ worker. 

“Since they were treated as daily wage labourers, without any employment benefits like weekly offs or paid leave, the previous contract company – Krystal – employed workers without any age ceilings,” he noted.  

As many workers had their Aadhar IDs with a different age owing to the mistake committed during registration, the company was requested to peruse the workers’ original documents to determine their right age, he added.