* Several Trade Union leaders arrested
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 2: A large protest march of PHE daily wagers, casual and ITI trained workers to Prime Minister’s rally at Vijaypur was foiled by strong contingent of police in Gandhinagar area today.
Led by its president Tanveer Hussain and several other trader union leaders of PHE Daily Wagers Union , hundreds of PHE daily wagers assembled at Press Club near main Tawi bridge and held strong protest demonstration. They were shouting slogans in support of release of their wages and demanding regularization. Several trade union leaders also addressed the gathering.
Then at around 12 noon, the protesting PHE daily wagers carrying banners and placards depicting their demands stated protest march towards Vijaypur, where PM’s grand rally is being held tomorrow. When they reached near District Police Lines, Gandhinagar, a strong contingent of Police raised strong barricades and foiled their march. They dispersed the workers by resorting to mild baton charge and arrested about half a dozen employees leaders including president Tanveer Hussain. They have been lodged in District Police Lines.
The other senior members detained are Pardeep Sharma, Vijay Kumar, Jeevan Singh and Amarjeet Singh.
These PHE workers are on strike since Sept 7, 2018. They have been demanding release of their wages and regularization as agreed by the Government. The workers from all the Divisions and PHE sub Divisions of Jammu district, besides Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Poonch Doda etc. in thousands took part in today’s protest march.
Tanveer Hussain and other speakers strongly criticized the higher authorities for not releasing their wages for the last about four years. They alleged that neither the Govt completed process of their regularization, nor it released wages of the workers despite assurances even on the floor of the Assembly House and outside by the previous Govt. They alleged that their families have been left for starvation. Even they are unable to pay the school fees of their children and feed them. The Governor’s Administration has also turned a deaf ear towards their plight, they alleged.
They pointed out that there are about 22,000 such workers who await Govt response. They further claimed that despite police restrictions, their workers would storm into Modi’s rally tomorrow.
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