Daily wagers of PHE Deptt stage protest demonstration

PHE workers staging protest demonstration at Udhampur on Wednesday.
PHE workers staging protest demonstration at Udhampur on Wednesday.

Excelsior Correspondent

UDHAMPUR, July 13: Demanding regularization of all the daily wagers, Jal Shakti/PHE employees and workers held strong protest demonstration today.
A large number of PHE workers under the leadership of senior trade union leader and president of the Jal Shakti Employees and Workers Association (JSEWA), Som Nath assembled at PHE complex Udhampur in the morning and held strong protest. They shouted slogans in support of their demands and also against JKUT Administration.
Addressing a large gathering Som Nath said that PHE daily wagers and consolidated workers are struggling for the last over 15 years for the regularisation of their services. Many of them have rendered the services of over two decades and have given their prime youth to the department but they are still waiting for justice. He said the PHE workers are on strike for the last over 20 days but the Govt was maintaining criminal silence over the issue.
The trade union leader pointed out that on Nov 11, 2020, their Association leaders met the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha over the issues of daily wagers including release of wages and regularization, the LG assured that their issues will be resolved within two months but it is unfortunate that even after 20 months the issues could not be resolved. Many workers are without wages since long.
Som Nath urged the Government to enact a concrete policy for the regularisation of daily wagers, release of the pending wages of daily rated/ consolidated/ land donor workers, implement Minimum Wages Act in J&K, clear all the pending SRO-43 cases, conduct DPC of all cadre in the department, fill up all the vacant posts, remove shortage of staff at water/ pumping stations and Division and Sub Division level offices and initiate repair/ maintenance of duty/ staff rooms. He said with the ongoing strike of the PHE workers the public is also suffering and Govt must come out with a solution.