Sudipto Mondal/The Hindu

• Doctors say exploitation is rampant among contract jobs 

Mangalore, May 28: Housekeepers and security personnel working on contract basis at the city’s three government hospitals claim that they are being short-changed by over Rs. 1,000 every month by their contractors. The heads of these hospitals also agree that the workers are being exploited.

Several housekeepers who spoke to The Hindu said that they were being paid only Rs. 1,600 a month. Even the security personnel said that they were earning only Rs. 1,500 a month. They both fall under the Group D category of jobs.

As per the Gazette notification brought out on December 30, 2002, the minimum wages for housekeepers for the current year should be Rs. 3,184 and that for watchmen/women is Rs. 2,976 a month.

The government runs three hospitals in the city — the District Wenlock Hospital, Lady Goshen Hospital and the recently started Regional Advanced Paediatric Care Centre (RAPCC).

The District Surgeon J. Prabhudev, who is in-charge of Wenlock and RAPCC and Dr. G.Y. Kamat, Superintendent of Lady Goshen Hospital agree that this type of exploitation is widespread in the State’s healthcare system.

Bills that the agencies have submitted with the hospitals, however, claim that the workers are being paid as per the prescribed minimum wages. Most of the workers know that they are being paid less than what they deserve but remain silent. They fear for their jobs.

Group D jobs are outsourced across the State as per a Government Order and manpower agencies are handed the job of supplying workers. Dr. Prabhudev and Dr. Kamat feel that this is why the agencies can exploit the workers. Dr. Prabhudev explained that as per the government tendering system, the agency that quotes the lowest amount is handed the contract. “We make sure that the bidder does not quote below the minimum wages,” he said.

Therefore, the agencies quote only the wage component and levy a service charge. Workers at Wenlock and RAPCC hospitals said that they were hired by a man called ‘Salam’. However, when this reporter tried to contact him, he was not available for comment. His assistant, ‘Chiana’, was also not available. Premier Agencies, used by Dr. Kamat, was contacted. Its proprietor, P. Rohinath, dismissed the claims of the workers and said that he had documents to prove that he had done no wrong. However, the workers said that they are made to sign their job sheets under duress. “They make us sign for a higher amount. If we refuse, we are fired,” said one housekeeper. The Assistant Labour Commissioner (Mangalore Division), Venkatesh A. Shindihatti, also shared the view that this practice is widespread in the government sector where jobs are outsourced. “Even if a violation is brought to book, violators are let off after a fine of a few thousand rupees,” he said.