Cuttack, Feb. 28: Patients and their relatives are facing a tough time searching for blood with employees of Central Red Cross Blood Bank on strike.

Nearly 40 workers, including 14 lab technicians, have gone on a cease work agitation to press for a 22-point charter of demands, including wages according to the recommendation of the Sixth Pay Commission.

“We are demanding regularisation of posts for those employees, who have completed 10 years of service at the blood bank,” said vice-president of the blood bank and the Transfusion Fluid Employees’ Association Ravi Narayan Sahu.

Sahu said the employees were forced to launch the cease work as till now the authorities had not taken any step to fulfil their demands despite several requests.

Hemlata Jena today had a harrowing experience at the Central Red Cross Blood Bank here while trying to secure a unit of blood for her son suffering from thalassemia.

The 35-year-old woman from Jajpur had to wait for nearly three hours to complete the formalities at the thalassemia ward in the blood bank because of cease work agitation.

On the other hand, blood bank director Benudhar Satpathy said the agitation had not hampered functioning of the institute.