About 3,500 employees, including sweepers, clerks, technicians, ward boys and laboratory workers, affiliated to the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena (BKS) had struck work on Tuesday, threatening to disrupt surgery schedules as well as the hospital's day-to-day functioning.

At a meeting between the hospital's directors and union leaders today, it was decided that Datta would not liaise directly with the employees and the union. ``We shall deal directly with the hospital's Medical Director, Dr D P Vyas, Executive Director C G Joshi and Administrative Director R P Rai,'' secretary of the BKS's hospital unit, Sanjay Sawant told Express Newsline

.A meeting has been convened between the hospital's top management and office-bearers of the ShivSena to discuss the matter in detail, he said, adding that the talks would take place after the hospital's chairperson, Bharatkumar Taparia, returns to Mumbai.

When the strike was called on Tuesday, some surgical procedures were postponed while others were cancelled. Stocks of linen began to run out and litter began to pile up. The quality of food had also begun to deteriorate.Emergency procedures, however, remained unaffected. New admissions drew to a halt except for emergency cases. Patients opting for discharge were allowed to leave.

The hospital's legal advisor, K K Thakkar, admitted that patients, especially poor patients who occupy 900 beds, had been suffering as a result of the agitation.

The strike was the climax of a running feud between employees and Dutta, whom they accuse of ``sustained harassment''. It was the fourth since he took over the department five years ago. Sawant claims the flashpoint was reached on Tuesday, when Datta ``challenged me to stop work in the hospital if I had thecourage to''.

``Given Datta's fascist attitude, we have to fight for each of our rights. For our bonus we had to resort to a hunger strike,'' Sawant adds. The union leader alleges that Datta has retrenched 10 to 15 employees so far.

Employees should be issued a warning before suspension, the union says, adding that this is not done. ``But Datta first suspends the errant employee and then initiates an inquiry. These have been carrying on for two to three years,'' explains BKS Secretary Bal Kalse.

A clerk from the hospital says employees who report late for work receive a letter of warning mailed to their residence. ``How can you be so strict aboutpunctuality in a place like Mumbai?''

Kalse says the union is ready to compromise if Datta tenders an apology. ``In any case, Shiv Sena Pramukh Bal Thackarey has always maintained that the functioning of a hospital should not be disrupted,'' he says.Refuting the union's charges, the hospital's legal adviser K K Thakkar, told Express Newsline: ``Weshall abide by the settlement with the union and maintain discipline. According to the hospital management, the employees have no reason to complain as they have been given a raise of Rs 1,000, a bonus of 17.75 per cent, 77 days' leave per year and medical benefits.''

He says that 100 to 150 employees report for work for barely 120 days a year. ``Some of them have been caught stealing red-handed. They even threatened to disrobe a lady doctor here. Since the past three years, the HRD Department has been cautioning them, but ultimately we had to be strict,'' he says.