Chandigarh, April 5 -- After staying away from work for two days, majorly impacting health services at PGIMER, the protesting contractual workers called off their strike on Thursday evening after an assurance from BJP leaders of a meeting with the Union health ministry.

As many as 3,500 contractual workers from various categories had gone on strike on Wednesday after their union leaders were detained the previous evening while planning a protest.

The strike continued for the second day as well on Thursday, putting patients and healthcare staff through immense hardship.

Demanding equal work, equal pay, health benefits and other perks, hospital attendants, sanitation workers, kitchen staff, laundry workers and contractual security person...