Workers operating Karnataka’s 108 Arogya Kavacha ambulance service have threatened to resign and begin a strike on Wednesday night if their demands for higher salaries, job security and improved working conditions are not accepted, raising the possibility of disruption to emergency medical transport across the state.
The workforce includes around 3,200 drivers, first health responders and attendants employed by GVK EMRI Health Services, the private firm that operates the ambulance service. The Karnataka Rajya Aarogya Kavacha 108 Employees’ Association has said it gave the government and the company until 8 pm on Wednesday to address its demands.
Association president Paramashiva said the workers were seeking salary revisions in line with their appointment letters, uniform pay, seniority-based salary fixation, job security, uniforms and better working conditions. According to the association, the company rejected the demands, following which the workers approached the state government.
“The government also did not accept our demands but promised to hold a discussion. We have given them until 8 pm on Wednesday. If they don’t meet our demands, we will resign,” Paramashiva said, according to the report by The Indian Express.
He also said the workers were prepared to leave if their demands were not addressed. “We are not afraid if the government threatens us. We will just quit and go and find other jobs. We will earn more in the private sector. Why should our families suffer?” he said.
Health Minister U T Khader rejected the workers’ position and said the government would not accept what he described as “blackmail tactics”. He said the employees were not government staff but workers of GVK EMRI, and asked them to take their concerns to the company that hired them.
“If they have any issues with the company that hires them, let them talk to them. The department will intervene only if the company fails them as promised,” Khader said. He added that the government would take action against GVK EMRI if the service was affected and a patient faced serious problems.
The minister also urged members of the public to explore alternatives to the 108 ambulance service for the next two months. The report did not specify which alternative emergency transport arrangements would be available or whether a contingency plan had been formally announced.
The dispute places the operational responsibility for a state emergency service at the centre of the immediate conflict. While the ambulance workforce is employed by a private operator, the Health Department has responsibility for intervening if service delivery is affected, according to the minister’s statement.
The association has announced a protest at Freedom Park from Thursday morning, with workers expected to remain there until their demands are addressed. The proposed resignation or strike could affect ambulance availability, but the report does not establish the number of vehicles or districts that would be affected.
The next immediate developments are the 8 pm deadline set by the association, the planned protest at Freedom Park and any intervention by the Health Department or GVK EMRI to prevent disruption to the 108 service.
