Ahmedabad Fire Brigade employees to go on strike

Upset with the harsh working conditions and low compensation, employees of Ahmedabad Fire Brigade (AFB) have decided to go on indefinite strike starting from Monday.

Around 450 employees staged a dharna in the fire brigade headquarters in Ahmedabad on Friday, demanding a raise in salary and improved working conditions.

"We are planning to go on indefinite strike from Monday. We do not want to disturb the people of the city so we decided to go on strike after the festive season. Our main demand is to hike our pay. We want better working conditions, we are asked to work 24 hours a day instead of the normal duty hours of eight hours" said a senior official of Fire Brigade.

At present, there are around 450 employees in Ahmedabad Fire Brigade. According to industry sources, at least 1,000 fire brigade officials are needed in Ahmedabad city.

"We will submit the employees demands to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials.

"If employees want reduced duty hours, they will have to vacate the quarters given to them for accommodation," Bipin Jadeja, chief fire officer, AFB told Business Standard on Friday.

The employees of Ahmedabad Fire Brigade, do not have group insurance despite the harsh working conditions and are required to provide ambulance services apart from attending the fire calls.

"At an average, we attend to over 150 ambulance calls and around 50 fire calls per day. We are required to provide ambulance services though it comes under the health department," said an senior fire brigade official.

"They have been providing ambulance services for the last 50 years and if they do not want to work any further, they need to give one month's advance notice," said Jadeja.

"So far we have not received any compensation for working during the earthquake and riots. Around nine employee of the AFB, who won the presidents medal, have not received the prize money so far," said an agitated employee of AFB.

AFB have 11 fire brigades, but none of them are in proper working conditions, alleged the employees of AFB.