Members of trade unions, labourers protest for higher wages in Karnal

Hundreds of members of various labourer and trade unions on Sunday took out a protest march in Karnal accusing the government of turning a blind eye to their long-pending issues.

Hundreds of members of various labourer and trade unions on Sunday took out a protest march in Karnal accusing the government of turning a blind eye to their long-pending issues.

The demonstrators who took out a protest march in Karnal on Sunday included officials of different employee unions, including the public health department, education department, PWD, mandi labourers, and workers from rice mills and brick kilns, and they were demanding a hike in their wages. (HT Photo/ Representational image)

The demonstrators included officials of different employee unions, including the public health department, education department, Anganwadi workers, PWD, mandi labourers, and workers from rice mills and brick kilns, and they were demanding a hike in their wages. The protesters in large numbers reached Karnal from different districts of the state.

Amid heavy police deployment, the protesters took out a protest march. They alleged that most of the workers are under paid and the midday workers get salary of only 10 months.

They alleged that they were being forced to work on minimum wages and demanded monthly honorarium for all the workers, including mid-day meal workers, be increased to ₹15,000 per month. They ended the protest after the assurance of a meeting with the chief minister.