CENTRE of Steel Workers—AICCTU issued a press statement on 2 December 2018 to say that despite the long-standing demand for a fully equipped ESI hospital for contract workers working in Vaishali Nagar, Bhilai and their family members, the attitude of the Chhattisgarh government and the Bhilai Steel Plant management in this matter has been indifferent and negative. This shows clearly that the government and Management do not care about health services for the contract workers or for their social security.

AICCTU has termed it an irony that the government earns crores through the labour of contract workers, but till today they have not opened an ESI hospital for them.

Centre of Steel Workers has demanded that until a fully equipped ESI hospital is opened for them, the contract workers and their family members must be given free treatment under ESI at the Bhilai Steel Plant Main Hospital in Sector-9, and their social security must also be ensured. AICCTU has also stated that there is a dire shortage of doctors at the Sector-9 Hospital, and keeping in view the heavy dependence of this entire area on the Hospital a sufficient number of doctors should be appointed without delay.