Bhubaneswar: More than 400 security guards of AIIMS Bhubaneswar stopped work briefly on Friday and held a demonstration in front of the hospital in protest against alleged delay in getting their salaries. During the sit-in, which was held from 6 am to 9 am, they alleged that the outsourcing agency has not been paying them on time for the last two months.These outsourced staff are important for hospital crowd management, security and other ancillary works. “The outsourcing agency has delayed our salary for the last two months. Part of our salaries have been deducted without citing any reason. As the agency did not pay heed to our requests, we held a demonstration,” said an agitating security guard.AIIMS Bhubaneswar executive director Ashutosh Biswas said it is the responsibility of the outsourcing agency to pay its employees. “We only pay the agreed amount to the outsourcing agency as it provides us service. We have requested the agitating security guards to join work on humanitarian grounds. We will take up the matter with the agency,” Biswas said.Following Biswas’s assurance, security guards called off the strike. “If the agency does not resolve our issue, we will again hold protest,” warned another security guard.
