Seeking various demands including salary hike and safety of women workers, 108 Ambulance Workers’ Union (108 AWU) staged a demonstration near South Taluk office here on Monday.

As many as 50 members of the Union participated in the protest in which the members also demanded that basic facilities including sanitation should be provided to them near shelters.

S. Muthuraja, the Deputy President of the Union, said that the workers, especially women found the job very inconvenient as the facilities provided to them were inadequate.

“We do not have proper shelters anywhere and after working officially for twelve hours a day, we are forced to sleep inside our vehicles as we do not have any resting quarters. While we manage to do so, women workers find it hard to adjust to conditions,’ he said.

He further added that sanitary facilities are the worst nightmares for the workers specifically women. “Some workers are forced to ease themselves in hospitals when they go to drop the patients or even on road sides. The inconvenience of women workers does not need explanation here,’ he added.

Apart from pondering over the lack of basic facilities, the workers also said that the salary provided to them was very low going by the workload.

P. Sivasamy, the President of the Union, said that the basic pay of a worker was Rs. 10,000 per month and added that the basic pay be increased to Rs. 15,000 so as to help the workers. “We almost work for 24 hours without even the allowances for extra run and other allowances. Hence, it is necessary to pay the workers adequately,” he added.

Sivasamy also stated that the workers should be equipped with work gears alleging that a private company had been looting their resources and salaries. “We are unable to win over the company being contract workers and hence we seek the help of the public to join us in the fight,” he opined.

He also complained that the management was not repairing the faulty vehicles immediately causing inconvenience to the public.