Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 20: The PHE employees including daily rated/ consolidated workers of the department, held strong protest demonstration outside the office of Chief Engineer at BC Road complex here today.
A large number of employees of the department drawn from various PHE Divisions and Sub Divisions of Jammu region, under the leadership of Shiv Kumar Sharma, state president of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and provincial president of Water Works (PHE) Employees Association assembled at BC Road PHE complex here in the morning and started protest demonstration. They were shouting slogans in support of their demands.
The agitating workers also raised slogans against Minister for PHE, Commissioner/ Secretary PHE and Chief Engineer concerned for their failure to resolve the pending issues of the PHE workers. They alleged that due to long delay in the conduct of DPC, many employees are facing stagnation at various levels. The wages of many workers are pending for the last many months and they are facing starvation. There is shortage of staff at many new stations and the concerned authorities have failed to depute adequate staff there for the smooth functioning. They also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Engineer PHE.
While addressing large gathering, Shiv Kumar expressed concern over the pending wages of the workers for the last many months. He said increasing pendency of monthly wages is cause of worry. He said keeping in view the inflation, the matter of pending wages in arrears was a cruel joke on the working classes.
Mr Sharma further said that the future of thousands of daily rated, need base, ITI and CP workers is hanging in balance despite the fact that they have put many years of their prime youth in the service of the department. The Government should formulate a proper regularization policy without any more delay. Moreover, workers who have offered their land to the department should also be permanently absorbed.
INTUC president also demanded implementation of 7th Pay Commission report in the state with out any delay. The other demanded projected on the occasion included, provide benefit of SRO 43 to all type of workers in PHE, conduct of DPC twice a year, enhancement in minimum wages limit to Rs 450 per day, change of designation as per nature of job and retain the post of Khalasi as regular promotion post.
Senior trade union leaders , Som Nath, Raman Kumar, Ajay Sharma, Faiz Akbar, Balbader Raj, Sham Lal, Munshi Ram, Chain Singh, Mohd Akram, Swarn Singh, A K Bali, Madan Lal, Ashok Kumar and others were also present.
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