108 ambulance strike hits Day 4; over 500 workers sacked as protest intensifies

Guwahati, Dec 4: The indefinite strike by employees of Assam’s 108 emergency ambulance service entered its fourth day on Thursday, with protesting workers intensifying their agitation after more than 500 staffers were terminated from service.

The employees, who have been holding a sit-in at Chachal from December 1, staged a shirtless demonstration to symbolise what they described as the government’s neglect of frontline health workers.

The workers have refused to call off the strike, reiterating that the agitation will continue until the government addresses their long-pending demands.

“We served throughout floods, Covid-19 and emergencies, but today we were dismissed like we don’t matter. We will not step back until the government responds. This fight is for fair wages and dignity,” a protester said.

Protesters said the shirtless demonstration was intended to convey that the administration had “left them exposed and unheard”.

Tensions escalated on Thursday after EMRI Green Health Services, the operator of the 108 service, terminated over 500 protesting employees.

The organisation cited “failure to perform duties, insubordination, and participation in the ongoing strike” as grounds for dismissal.

“It is reported that you are not performing your basic duties as per the terms and condition of your appointment letter and insubordination and disobedience towards management orders which has caused serious dislocation of work and trouble to the common people of Assam,” the termination letter read.

EMRI claimed that the strike had severely disrupted ambulance operations across the state, causing inconvenience to the public and amounting to a gross violation of service rules.

Workers, however, alleged that the termination letters arrived without warning. “The government has to listen to our demand, and if necessary we are willing to die for this because if we don’t get to eat, our children don’t get to eat,” said a protester.

The agitation centres around three key demands - regularising nearly 3,000 workers, ensuring fair wages, and providing overtime compensation.

The escalation follows Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s remarks on Wednesday that the government would not engage in discussions as long as the strike continued.

He warned that employees who refused to resume duty risked dismissal and that new recruits would be appointed if required.

That warning materialised on Thursday, with hundreds abruptly losing their jobs; a move many workers described as unethical and punitive, particularly given their service during critical emergencies.

EMRI had earlier said it had maintained partial operations by deploying temporary staff and reallocating resources across districts.

The organisation had urged protesting employees to return to duty “in the interest of public welfare”, cautioning that prolonged absence could complicate any possibility of reinstatement once vacant posts are filled.