Dear Friends,
The Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) was passed by the Maharashtra legislature in April 2012, despite opposition from trade unions and other workers organizations cutting across party and trade union lines.
Armed with this law, the Maharashtra government has threatened agitating people like teachers, Doctors, Motormen, Municipal Employees etc with termination of services whenever they go on agitation. For example when we Resident Doctors all over Maharashtra, under the banner of our Association, MARD(Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors), went on a mass sick leave on April 22nd 2013, in support of our long pending demands, the authorities threatened to impose this law and deregister the resident Doctors. We, the resident Doctors working in the Municipal Hospitals all over Maharashtra had several times pleaded to the authorities to sort out our problems, but they were never looked into. It was only when all other avenues had been exhausted that we were forced to take the drastic step of going on mass leave.
The very poor working condition of resident Doctors is high lighted by the recent death of one of our members , Dr. Samidha , who died of TB on 30-06-2013. The conditions of work under which we provide service to sick people is the main reason for this tragedy. More than 30 Doctors have been diagnosed with TB infection in Mumbai itself. When the Doctor, who is supposed to treat the patient is himself falling sick , how can he take care of the patients? But because of such laws, our ability to struggle for justice is severely curtailed.
We call on all those associations and Unions who are struggling for their just rights to come together to oppose MESMA. It is our fundamental right, under the Constitution, to struggle to oppose injustice.
We need to discuss how to collectively fight for justice. For e.g we can challenge this law,which is against our fundamental rights, in Court. For this purpose and to and to discuss this and other ideas by which we can protect our rights, pl come to Dadar Post Office, 3rd Floor, Canteen, opposite Pritam Hotel, Dadar(E), on August 3rd , 2013 at 6.30 pm.
With Best Regards,
Dr.Santosh Wakchaure
President, Central MARD
22/07/2013
