Demanding their immediate regularisation, hundreds of daily wagers of the Jal Shakti department staged a massive protest and blocked busy BC Road here on Monday.
The police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the protesters gathered outside the office of department’s chief engineer under the banner of Jal Shakti (PHE) Employees and Workers Association.
It may be stated here that in violation of Minimum Wages Act, daily wagers of the Jal Shakti department get a paltry sum of ₹6,750 a month. Hundreds of them have completed 15 to 25 years of service.
Infuriated over ‘unprovoked’ police action, the daily wagers warned that they would continue with their protests and will not relent till the LG’s administration resolves their grievances.
“We had already intimated the administration about our protest,” said Balwinder Singh, one of the protesters.
Rakesh Kumar, another protester, said, “Our families are facing starvation and we are not able to pay school fees of our children.”
The association’s president, Som Nath, said many of the workers have rendered services to the department for over two decades, but they are still waiting for justice.
Meanwhile, J&K Congress lashed out at the government for its failure to address daily wagers’ issues at the earliest. JKPCC chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said that the government should shun its ‘rigid’ stand and ‘anti-workers’ approach and accept their genuine demands.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, J&K Congress lashed out at the government for its failure to address daily wagers’ issues at the earliest. JKPCC chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said that the government should shun its ‘rigid’ stand and ‘anti-workers’ approach and accept their genuine demands.
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