Guwahati: Emergency medical response across Assam came to a standstill on Monday after employees of the 108 Mrityunjoy ambulance service began an indefinite strike, pressing for long-pending demands related to job security, wages and overtime compensation. Hundreds of workers from different districts assembled at Chachal in Guwahati, bringing ambulance operations to a halt.
The protest, called by the All Assam 108 Mrityunjoy Employee Association, follows what workers describe as years of unmet promises from the state government. Representatives said multiple memorandums, discussions with officials and even meetings with the Chief Minister and Health Department have failed to produce any concrete decision.
Workers alleged that despite being acknowledged as frontline responders during the Covid-19 crisis, their wages remain on par with factory workers. They also claimed that although they work 12-hour shifts, they are paid only for 10 hours. The key demands include shifting the service under full government control, regularising nearly 3,000 employees, revising salaries to match highly skilled workers, ensuring full overtime pay, granting annual bonuses, and extending access to welfare schemes such as Apon Ghar and Seuji Ghar.
Leaders of the association said they are left with no option but to protest after years of patience. They added that suggestions of fresh recruitment would jeopardise the livelihood of thousands of existing staff, many of whom have served for over a decade. With the strike continuing indefinitely, concerns have grown over the impact on emergency medical services statewide, as workers insist that services will remain suspended until the government agrees to meaningful talks.