Rohit Shishodia
More than a dozen employees of the Centralized Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) ambulances in Delhi have now turned their 10-day-long strike into a hunger strike. They say that the government is not paying heed to their demands due to which they have taken this step.

Over 1500 staff members of CATS in Delhi have been on indefinite strike for the last ten days in protest against being rendered employed under GVK-AMRI, a private agency to run ambulances, and non-payment of salary for the last three months.

Refuting claims of Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain that 50% ambulances were operational, the agitated employees said that government is telling an untruth. They said that only a handful of ambulances are running and many ambulances have been stationed in police stations.

The CATS employees, including drivers and paramedics, continued their protest near Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s house and raised slogans against him and Jain. Many of the employees also got tonsured in protest against the government.

“There has been no concrete assurance given by the government so far. We do not have any option except hunger strike. We will continue this fight till the end. Unless AAP government resolves our demands of ending contractual system and privatization of CATS, we will continue the strike,” said one of the members of the CATS union.