Gumla Outsourced Health Workers Threaten Indefinite Strike Over Four Months’ Unpaid Salaries

Outsourced healthcare workers in Gumla district have threatened to launch an indefinite strike if their pending salaries are not paid before Durga Puja. The employees allege that they have not received their wages for four months, covering June to September 2026, leaving many families struggling to meet their expenses ahead of the festive season.

The workers, backed by their federation, have submitted a memorandum to the Gumla Civil Surgeon and other health department officials, demanding the immediate release of their outstanding salaries. They have also sought intervention from the state Health Minister, the Chief Minister and the concerned outsourcing agency, Saathi, to resolve the issue.

With Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath approaching, the delayed payments have added to the financial difficulties of the employees. They said the festivals bring additional household expenses, including the purchase of clothes for children, ???? materials and other essential items. Despite continuing to perform their duties in the healthcare system, they claim they have been left without their salaries for months.

In their memorandum, the employees have demanded payment of the outstanding wages for all four months and a system to ensure that salaries are credited regularly in the future. The federation said prolonged delays were affecting workers’ financial stability and urged the authorities to intervene before the situation escalated into a strike.

The memorandum has also raised questions about the payment structure under the outsourcing arrangement. According to the federation’s claims, approximately Rs 32,000 per employee is paid to the outsourcing agency each month, while workers receive only around Rs 15,619 in their bank accounts after various deductions. The figures and the reasons for the difference have not been independently verified.

The employees have warned that they will be compelled to stop work indefinitely if the pending salaries are not cleared before Durga Puja. They have called on the health department and the outsourcing agency to address their grievances promptly and establish a mechanism to prevent similar delays.

Several employees, including Bonifas Kujur, Shamshad Ansari, Pankaj Oraon, Bhushan Kumar, Dinesh Singh, Rohit Kumar Sahu and Deepak Sahu, were among those who raised the demands and expressed solidarity with the proposed agitation. Other staff members also participated.

The dispute has raised concerns about the potential impact on healthcare services if the threatened strike goes ahead. With the festival deadline approaching, attention is now focused on whether the authorities and the outsourcing agency will resolve the salary issue in time to avert a disruption.