Daily wagers, employees’ body hails formation of panel, seeks representation
President of employees joint action committee(EJAC) Wajahat Hussain Durani and president of Casual & Daily Wagers Forum Sajad Parray addressed a joint press conference welcoming the decision of the government in the assembly on Tuesday
Daily wagers, casual labourers and government employees’ unions on Wednesday welcomed the decision of J&K chief minister (CM) Omar Abdullah to announce formation of a committee for their regularisation but demanded a representation of the employees in the said committee.
President of employees joint action committee(EJAC) Wajahat Hussain Durani and president of Casual & Daily Wagers Forum Sajad Parray addressed a joint press conference welcoming the decision of the government in the assembly on Tuesday.
“We welcome the formation of committee by CM Omar Abdullah to find a roadmap for casual labourers and daily wagers. The committee has been given six months. We also want to thank all the MLAs from any party BJP, PDP or NC who showed their sympathy and showed their support in assembly,” said the EJAC chairman Durani.
CM Omar on Tuesday announced a high-powered panel headed by chief secretary Atal Dulloo with the sole motive to come up with a roadmap for addressing the issue of regularising daily wagers, ad hoc workers and casual labourers across Jammu and Kashmir. The announcement came after a massive protest by the casual employees across J&K.
However, Durani reminded government of the earlier instances when such committees were formed without any result. “We have seen many committees before this as well like cabinet sub-committee in last Omar Abdullah’s government and after that SRO 520. We are hopeful that this time those things won’t be repeated. The committee is not formed for the name only but gives its recommendations within a few months so that a way is formed and our daily wagers, casual labourors are regularised,” he said.
He said that EJAC and Daily Wagers Forum have formed a six member committee to help the government committee in arriving at a roadmap.
“We have also formed a 6-member committee together with Daily Wagers Forum and EJAC to keep in touch with the government committee and would present our suggestions and facts to facilitate them. The employees committee will be in close liaison with government committee,” he said.
The employees demanded a representation in the government committee. “We demand the CM to give a representation of the employee committee in the government committee for a unanimous decision. It should not be such that the govt committee comes out with something which will not be acceptable to us. We demand justice and are not asking something which is out of box,” Durani said which was reiterated by Sajad Parray.
The two union leaders also said that the government should implement a minimum wages act at par with rest of the states for the daily wagers and casual labourers till the government come swith a road map.
“An important issue has been skipped in this process is the implementation of the Minimum Wages Act at power with other states. The casual labourer is still getting ₹311 per day here ( ₹9,330 per month). We appeal to CM and all legislators to consider why the labourer is getting only ₹311 in J&K while as in Ladakh or Delhi the labourer gets 15,000 to 27,000 per month. We want that till the time government committee come out with a roadmap, till that time the minimum wages act at par with rest of the states is implemented in J&K,” said Durani.