Hyderabad: Security personnel at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) staged a protest on Wednesday, boycotting their duties due to a two-month delay in salary payments. The NIMS Contract Security Guards Union (NCSGU), which is leading the protest, revealed that several guards employed by private agencies have not received their salaries for June and July.
Delayed Payments and Financial Struggles
The NIMS hospital relies on a contracted workforce of 240 security personnel, sourced from two private agencies—Capital Protection Force Private Limited, which supplies 100 guards, and Sri Kartikeya Securities, which provides the remaining 140. According to NCSGU president N. Venkatesh, about 100 guards from Capital Protection Force have been struggling without pay for 60 days, forcing many to take out high-interest loans just to meet daily needs. “Imagine the difficulty of managing a family without a paycheck for two months,” Venkatesh said, highlighting the guards’ dire situation.
Disparities in Salaries and the Call for Action
The union also brought attention to discrepancies in the pay scale among different agencies. Security personnel employed by one agency receive a monthly take-home salary of ₹13,500, while others are paid only ₹11,500. The union is calling for not only the immediate release of the pending salaries but also compensation to address these pay disparities.
NIMS Management Responds
In response, the NIMS management has urged the protesting guards to return to work, promising that the hospital’s Director, Dr. Nagari Bheerappa, will address their concerns upon his return on Thursday.
The situation at NIMS underscores the critical need for timely payment and fair compensation for its security personnel, who play a vital role in maintaining safety at the institution.