Govt to issue pre-termination notice to GVK EMRI

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 22, 2019

SHILLONG: The state government has decided to issue pre-termination notice to the GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (GVK EMRI) to resume the emergency services in the state within 60 days.

The decision was taken at a meeting convened by the health minister Alexander L Hek here on Tuesday with senior officials of the department and representatives from the GVK EMRI.

The emergency services across the eleven districts of the state have been badly affected after over 200 employees of the ‘108 ambulance service’ went on strike for nearly a month now, to protest against the government and management’s failure to fulfill their 36 charter of demands.

A fleet of 108 ambulances were also parked outside the office of the GVK EMRI at Lawmali, Shillong.

After the meeting, Hek told reporters that a pre-termination notice will be issued to the GVK EMRI on Wednesday after it has failed to perform as per the terms and conditions of the agreement signed with the government.

“We have asked the company to resume the emergency service within two months’ time failing which the state government will accordingly take a final decision (of terminating the contract),” he said.

Asked, the minister said the department may float a new tender if the agreement with the GVK EMRI is terminated.

He said the health department was forced to use its own ambulances to attend to the emergency requirements of the people due to the standoff between GVK EMRI and its employees.

On the fate of the employees, Hek said the government has got nothing to do with the agitating staff as they have been engaged by the company.

Health secretary Pravin Bakshi said a state level committee was constituted by the government on July 22, to end the deadlock between the GVK EMRI management and the employees.

He said the committee during its two sittings held on July 25 and August 5, also heard the charter of demands put forth by the employees and discussed those which can be fulfilled and those which have scope for some further talks.

Bakshi also informed that the committee also sought the views of the law and labour departments in which they have stated that 108 ambulance service is a contract given to GVK EMRI through a tender process.

“Both the departments were very clear that this (stalemate) is an internal matter between the GVK EMRI and the staff or the union and therefore government has no direct role to play. We asked about the ambit of the labour laws and the response was that the union or staff can raise a dispute but it is not strictly under the purview of any labour law or even minimum wages act,” he said.

Bakshi said the issues related to increase of salary, disciplinary action taken by GVK EMRI, pay cuts was discussed but there was no consensus. The staff also walked out of the meeting as according to them if the issue regarding pay cuts is not resolved, there is no purpose in going ahead with the meeting, he said.