Chandigarh, Nov. 19 -- The chain hunger strike of contract workers at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) entered its 5th day on Tuesday. The workers, sitting on strike since November 14, are demanding payment of their pending arrears, maternity leave and bonuses. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of contract workers has claimed that arrears of around Rs.90 crore are pending after the government of India released a notification of revised wages on October 9, 2018 and July 30, 2025. In the two notifications, the Union ministry of labour and employment in exercise of Section 32 of the Contract Labour Act, 1970, had ordered the PGIMER administration to ensure contract workers are paid equal to the lowest-paid regular workers, who are performing similar work and other equivalent facilities. The other demands of JAC include maternity leave benefits to female contract staff, bonus and reinstatement of four security guards who were removed in November, 2024 during protest activities. So far, the hospital administration has released Rs.55 crore arrears and has assured workers of payment of their revised wages....