Medical representatives call for strike on 21st July

The medical representatives of the city have called for a strike on 21st July in demand of solutions for multiple problems within the Pharma companies. Commenting on the issue, Rahul Purkayastha, Union General Secretary and former General Secretary-cum-CITU Assam State Committee Secretary Bijon Das said that Pharma companies, which are concentrating on marketing of patented drugs on monopoly basis, are not selling their generic brands to new buyers. The duo said that during the time when advancement in science and technology is being monopolized to the core level of the society, in the name of making it patented and leading monopoly market, there are people who are in dire need of medication to save their lives, but are not being to access the basic medication. The price control of essential medicine is farce today as market rate has been given preference over affordability and accessibility of medicines to all. Though the Assam Government has declared and notified minimum wages @Rs 12,500 + 75% neutralization of VDA, Purkayastha said that it is saddening that majority of the employers in the medical chain are yet to acknowledge to the notification. To tackle these rising problems and bring a transparency in the chain, the medical union is organizing rallies in Guwahati, Shillong, Imphal, Assam and Agartala on 21st July. Two of the topmost demands of the union are: Clarity in the employers’ ‘starting time’ and ‘ending time’ of eight hours work for all the employees in the department of sales and promotion.  Establish right to work in the hospitals, medical institutions, etc for all the employees in sales and promotion, etc.