Ernakulam Government Medical College terminates services of 29 contract staff
The terminated employees, including nursing assistants and pharmacists, claim they were not provided with proper notice before being asked to stop working.
The Directorate of Medical Education terminated the services of 29 contract employees at Ernakulam Government Medical College (GMC) on Sunday, November 1, according to The Hindu.
The staff members, who include pharmacists, nursing assistants and last-grade workers, were aged 60 and above. They have been working at the institution since the State government took over the cooperative medical college in 2013.
The terminated employees alleged they were treated unfairly and were not given proper notice. Pharmacist Harikumar A.N., aged 64, said the order was circulated on Saturday, October 31, and staff were told to stop coming to work from Monday.
Salomi Baby, a 63-year-old employee, said that while they knew service must discontinue after age 60, they should have received proper notice instead of being informed at the last moment.
GMC sources stated the employees were ineligible to continue as they had crossed the age of 60. They added that the decision had been communicated earlier and the staff will receive pension benefits from 2016 and service seniority from 2024 once the integration process is complete.
P.M. Mujeeb Rahman, district joint secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, alleged that the sudden termination without recruiting enough staff could affect the hospital's functioning and employee morale.