Tirupati: Demanding increasing of monthly wages, SVIMS contract employees organised dharna at NTR statue in the hospital complex in Tirupati on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, CITU president Balasubramanyam, general secretary Kandarapu Murali and SVIMS Workers Union working president Venu Gopal said that contract workers have been demanding for increasing their wages and staged several protests for the last three years, but in vain. “The Workers Union leaders met TTD chairman, EO, SVIMS Director and also labour department officials seeking wage increase. The leaders also issued strike notice on June 4 warning that the workers will go on indefinite strike if the SVIMS management failed to respond.”

Murali said that though a week passed the management didn’t respond and warned that the workers will resort to strike on any day after June 18. He criticised that SVIMS management is responsible for forcing the workers to do strike, which will affect hospital services and demanded the management to respond immediately to avoid the strike.