'D' Group employees at MIMS get old pay, express shock

More than 200 'D' Group employees serving at the Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) were in for a shock when they received just half of their salary in the month of November 2017.

The non-clinical staff are being recruited on contract basis for the MIMS by Arkeshwara Enterprises and all of them come under 'D' Group.

The contractors remit the salaries directly to the bank account of the employees. While their salary is around Rs 9,400, the salaries remitted to their account last month was only Rs 5,400. The technical staff, employed by Ranganath Agency, have also been paid 50% salary, it is said. The technical staff includes computer operators, operators at Intensive Care Unit (ICU), laboratories and other departments. While their salary was Rs 10,000, they were paid just Rs 5,000 in the month of November.

The security personnel too have not been spared. Kantha Agency has employed the security personnel. The salaries were already delayed in the month of November and only 50% salary remitted has created anxiety among the workers.

High court order

When contacted the Finance department of MIMS, they explained that the salaries were deducted as directed by the High Court. According to hospital sources, there was a hike in the salaries of contract employees in the month of May, after implementation of The Minimum Wages Act, as directed by the Labour Department.

As the private hospitals approached the Court against the implementation, the High Court issued a stay order. Following the development, the Labour department sent circulars to the private hospitals asking them to revert to old pay. Hence, the employees were paid the old salaries.

Speaking to DH, MIMS CEO H Jaya said, "Though the high court issued a stay order in the month of June, the employees were paid minimum wages, deducting only ESI and PF. But the Labour Department had dispatched another circular in November directing the Finance department to pay the old salary structure for the employees. The new pay scale would be implemented after stay order is vacated, along with arrears."

One of the 'D' Group employees said, "We have got used to the new pay and the sudden deduction of salary has inconvenienced the employees. It is difficult to run the family," he said.