Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 18: Scores of casual labourers and daily wagers of Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department were arrested today when they were trying to march towards old secretariat to submit a memorandum to Divisional Commissioner.
Police foiled their march by using force to disperse them. The protesting daily wagers were demanding their regularization and release of wages on monthly basis.
The protestors assembled at Press Colony and were marched toward old secretariat, but the police already deployed there cane charged and detained dozens of employees.
Chairman, All Kashmir PHE Casual Labourers Association, Sajad Ahmad Parray said that despite working as daily wagers in the department from more than last 15 years, the Government has failed to regularize these employees. “We have become the victims of present Coalition Government but we will not stop fighting for our genuine rights till promises made with us are not fulfilled,” he added.
The protest call was given by Kashmir PHE Joint Employees Association in support of its demands for regularization of daily wager workers, casual labourers and need-based workers.
“I am a casual labour with PHE Department from last 15 years and I am waiting my regularization. We are not getting our salaries in time. This year I got my salary of two months only and rest is lying with them. Tell me how can I feed my children”, said Altaf Hussain, a protesting employee.
The protesters said that they were exploited time and again and the politicians have generated a vote bank out of them and dared that if Government failed to meet their demands, they will go for any extreme step.
The protesting employees warned the Omar led Coalition Government that if it failed to fulfil their demands within a week’s time, the casual laborers would take out a massive protest on April 25 which would be led by the senior leaders of employees Joint Coordination Committee (JCC).
The association threatened to go for an indefinite strike if their demands were not fulfilled.
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