: Multi-speciality hospital workers arrested during protest demanding permanent jobs in Police arrested multi- speciality hospital workers who attempted to stage a protest near Raja

#TamilNadu : Multi-speciality hospital workers arrested during protest demanding permanent jobs in #Chennai Police arrested multi- speciality hospital workers who attempted to stage a protest near Rajarathinam Stadium in Egmore, Chennai, on Monday, demanding permanent employment and other benefits. More than 300 police personnel were deployed in the area ahead of the protest. The workers, affiliated with the Multi-speciality Hospital Workers Development Association, had planned to stage a hunger strike to press for the regularisation of their jobs in government hospitals across Tamil Nadu. Their other demands included one day of paid casual leave a month, holidays on all government public holidays and the conduct of transfer counselling. Police stopped workers who gathered near Rajarathinam Stadium and chased and arrested those attempting to participate in the protest. Some workers staged a sit-in on Rukmini Lakshmipathi Road, where police allegedly carried them away and took them to police vehicles. Protesters alleged that police assaulted women workers during the arrests. They also accused the police of preventing women from reaching the protest venue, detaining workers at their homes and even entering toilets to search and arrest women workers who had gone inside. Speaking to reporters, Bharathi, leader of the Multi-speciality Hospital Workers Development Association, said the workers had planned a hunger strike to demand permanent employment in accordance with the government's election promise. He alleged that the police had initially been informed that the protest would be limited to a hunger strike, but permission was subsequently withdrawn on the grounds that the protesters had spoken against a minister. Workers travelling from various districts across Tamil Nadu were also stopped and arrested, he said. Questioning the police action, the protesters asked why they were being prevented from even holding a hunger strike and raised slogans condemning the police. Bharathi and several other workers were arrested and taken away in buses. Source: https://x.com/TheSouthfirst/status/2109614733829558634