The indefinite strike by Punjab’s 108 Ambulance Employees Association entered the second day on Friday with the corporate operating the service, Ziqitza Health Care Limited, issuing termination of service discover to all contractual workers protesting at Ladhowal toll plaza in Ludhiana.

The contractual workers went on strike on Thursday, demanding the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) authorities take again management of the service from the corporate. They stationed greater than 300 ambulances on the toll plaza and held a dharna. There are 325 such ambulances within the state.

Despite state well being minister Dr Balbir Singh’s assurance, the ambulance service remained off street, inconveniencing sufferers and their attendants throughout the state.

On January 9, the affiliation had given a 72-hour ultimatum to the state authorities and had gone on strike as their calls for had not been met.

Association president Manpreet Singh Nijjer stated: “We will continue our strike until our meeting with chief minister Bhagwant Mann is fixed. The company wanted to take back ambulances at Ladhowal, but we will not allow it.”

Won’t budge until calls for met: Drivers

Amandeep Singh, the union vice-president, stated: “The company issued the notice to us on Thursday night to resume work with immediate effect. 1,400 employees, including ambulance drivers and emergency medical technicians, are protesting here. We will not return to work until our demands are met.

ZHL’s Punjab head Manish Batra said, “We will resume the ambulance service at the earliest. We have issued notice to the protesting employees to get back to work. The hike they are asking has already been given to them and they have even received arrears in November. We are paying them as per government orders,” Batra said.

‘Meagre hike doesn’t suffice’

Gurjant Singh, 45, a driver of ambulance from Patiala since 2011, said, “Earlier, I was getting 9,500 a month and after revision in wages, just 200 was added.

Rajesh Kumar, a member of the association, said, “The company has only given wages revised by the Punjab government in April 2021. The amount revised was around 180. But no increment has been given.”

They say their counterparts in Haryana get around 30,000-35,000 a month.

A private ambulance union has announced support to the protest. Satish Kumar, press secretary of the All Ambulance Association, Punjab, said: “We are supporting the 108 ambulance union. We will also station our 400 private ambulances running in Punjab whenever Nijjer calls for support.”

Started in 2011 to offer free transport to sufferers, the 108-ambulance service has been in personal palms. The newest contract was signed on January 15, 2021, legitimate for 5 years.