Sanitation operations at the Bundi District Hospital in Rajasthan were thrown into disarray after outsourced cleaning personnel stopped work in protest against unpaid wages. Around 36 male and female sanitation staff engaged through a private contracting agency gathered at the main entrance of the medical facility, staging a sit-in demonstration and raising slogans against the employing firm. The agitating workers announced an indefinite boycott of all cleaning duties, stating that sanitation work across the premises will remain suspended until their accumulated financial dues are settled in full. The sudden stoppage has crippled daily housekeeping routines across the hospital, raising concerns of severe inconvenience and hygiene problems for patients and visiting relatives.
Mounting Debts and Alleged Cuts Compound Worker Woes
According to the agitating staff, they have not received their wages for the past 4 to 5 months. The contract stipulates a monthly wage of 6400 rupees per worker, but employees alleged that even this modest amount is subjected to arbitrary deductions by the contractor before distribution. With remuneration stalled for nearly half a year, the sanitation workers noted that their household finances have collapsed, forcing them to borrow money from local acquaintances to cover daily grocery and family expenses. The workers explained that prolonged delays in salary disbursement coupled with unexplained salary cuts left them with no alternative but to stop work and voice their grievances through a public protest.
Firm Stand on Continuing Stir Until Full Settlement
The demonstration at the facility gate saw staff refuse to take up brooms or maintain the wards. The workers issued a clear warning that no employee will resume housekeeping or sweep the hospital premises until the contractor clears every rupee of their pending arrears. They stated that the strike would continue unabated if the management and the contractor fail to resolve their payment crisis immediately. With ward waste and corridors left unattended, the disruption has directly hit cleanliness standards inside the government healthcare centre, threatening to create difficult sanitary conditions for both admitted patients and medical staff.
Hospital PMO Steps In With Two-Day Payment Assurance
Following the demonstration, a delegation of the protesting cleaning personnel met Dr. Govind Gupta, the Principal Medical Officer (PMO) of the Bundi District Hospital. The workers placed their grievances before him, outlining the financial distress caused by the prolonged non-payment and highlighting the alleged deductions made from their fixed earnings. Dr. Govind Gupta heard the concerns and offered assurances that arrangements would be made to ensure their pending payments are cleared within 1 to 2 days. While the administration has intervened with this timeline, attention now centres on whether the dues are disbursed as promised and whether the workers decide to call off their demonstration and resume duty.
