Cuttack: The SCB Medical College and Hospital authorities started weighing options to replace the outsourced workers as they continued with their strike for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.

Around 130 sterilisers, dressers, operation theatre helpers, machine operators and other outsourced workers of the hospital have been on an indefinite strike since Monday.

The workers employed by an outsourcing firm - Manju Agency are demanding to be made direct employees.

The hospital's administrative officer Kalpataru Behera said: "We have already asked the service provider agency to provide alternative workers in place of the 130 on strike."

"We have also sought from the government diversion of some workers from nearby periphery hospitals," he said.

The outsourced workers said they had been engaged in the hospital since May 2011, but their monthly wages remained a meagre Rs 3,795.

"The hospital has come up with 180 Grade IV posts and seems to be making a move to fill up the vacancies without giving preference to us," said Biranchi Senapati, who operates a sterilisation machine.

Behera said: "We have communicated the demands of the outsourced workers on strike to the state government. But, they did not respond to the advice to wait."

"But, there was no point in waiting as similar assurances were followed with no steps to address our grievances of paltry wages," said Subrat Padhi, a 30-year-old graduate, who worked at the minor OT of urology department. "Our wages were increased to Rs 4,600 in 2016, but again decreased to Rs 3,795," said Lingaraj Sahu, 30, who operated the laproscopy machine.

Official sources said the hospital had been paying Rs 4,500 per month to the outsourced workers through the service provider, which paid them Rs 3,795 after deducting amount towards their PF.