PHE employees stage protest, demand wages, regularization

PHE workers staging massive protest at Udhampur on Monday. -Excelsior/K Kumar
PHE workers staging massive protest at Udhampur on Monday. -Excelsior/K Kumar

Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Oct 3: Jal Shakti (PHE) Employees & Workers Association held a strong protest at PHE Complex Udhampur here today.
A large number of workers drawn from Ramnagar, Majalta, Khoon, Mansar, Manwal, Chenani, Kud, Mantalai, Krimachi, Pancheri, Tikri, Jib Thathi, Garhi, Rehmbal and other far flung areas of district Udhampur under the Chairmanship of Som Nath, president Jal Shakti Employees and Workers Association and senior Trade Union leader Jammu Province. The workers were shouting slogans carrying black flags in their hands in support of their demands against the UT Govt.
Som Nath criticized the attitude of UT Government for not redressing the demands of daily wagers committed by LG Manoj Sinha. The ongoing agitation entered into 103rd day but the Govt is not serious regarding the demands of the daily wagers. The Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to Jammu some time back while addressing the rally had announced that the Minimum Wages Act has been implemented in the UT, but till date the Minimum Wages Act has not been implemented by the people at the helm of affairs in J&K.
Som Nath appealed to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to address the long pending demands of the PHE workers which include framing a regularization policy, implement Minimum Wages Act and release pending wages of the daily wagers immediately. The J&K UT was established more than two years ago, all the Central laws were extended to thus UT but Minimum Wages Act was not implemented.
He strongly demanded that CP/ITI/land case workers who have completed 7 years of service should be regularized immediately. No wages to the workers have been paid for the last 65-70 months. The Govt must clear all the pending wages of the workers and also device a mechanism to release regular wages in future as well. He also demanded implement Minimum Wages Act and remove shortage of staff. Som Nath also demanded conduct of DPC of all cadres in the PHE department
Senior trade union members Vijay Sharma, Suraj Parkash, Dinesh Kesar, Makhan Chand, Jagdish Magotra, Govind Ram, Parath Singh, Javed, Rajinder Sharma, Kulbhushan Bhat, Sat Pal and others also spoke on the occasion.