108 ambulance staff in Tamil Nadu to strike on November 3 over pay, regularisation
The Tamil Nadu 108 Emergency Ambulance Employees Progressive Union has announced a 24-hour statewide strike from 8 p.m. on November 3 to press an 11-point charter of demands. If it goes ahead as announced, the strike would end at 8 p.m. on November 4.
The union submitted a petition setting out its demands to the Coimbatore Collector on Monday. In that petition, it stated that about 1,353 ambulances were operating across Tamil Nadu and that around 7,000 workers were engaged in the service.
At the centre of the charter is a demand for the State government to take over the 108 ambulance service directly, along with regularisation of the workers employed in it. The union has also sought implementation of a Labour Tribunal award relating to wage revision and bonus.
On working conditions, the union wants an eight-hour, three-shift system introduced in place of the existing arrangement. It has asked for a 25 per cent wage revision for 2026, an increase in medical insurance cover from ₹2 lakh to ₹5 lakh, and higher compensation in cases of death while on duty or off duty.
The remaining demands include timely payment of salaries, abolition of fixed-term employment, reinstatement of dismissed workers, and restoration of leave and festival-duty benefits.
The 108 service is the emergency medical response arm of the State's health services and is reached through a single toll-free number used for accidents, sudden illness and other medical emergencies. The call for a direct government takeover reflects long-standing concerns among sections of the workforce about employment terms under the present service arrangement.
The petition was submitted to the district administration. The union's announcement did not indicate what response it had received from the government, nor did it state whether talks would be held before November 3.
It is also not clear from the announcement how ambulance availability would be affected during the 24-hour period. In essential services such as emergency medical transport, disputes over pay and service conditions have in the past moved to conciliation before a strike date.
For residents, the 108 helpline remains the designated number for emergency medical assistance. Whether callers would continue to receive an ambulance as usual during the strike window has not been spelt out by the union.
The charter is a mix of long-pending employment grievances and service-related demands. Direct government absorption of contract workers, regularisation of posts and revision of wages are issues that typically require decisions at the level of the Health Department and the Finance Department, and often involve the service operator as well.
Union representatives have framed the strike as a means of pressing for these decisions. The announcement names November 3 as the date set by the union; any change to that plan would depend on developments in the coming days.
