Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 15: The police today foiled the protest march and Secretariat `Gherao’ programme of the PHE daily rated, IT trained and community participation (CP) workers as a strong contingent of police led by SP City stalled their march at India Chowk.
On the 95th day of their protest dharna/ strike, the temporary PHE workers in large number assembled at Press Club and held strong protest demonstration. They were raising slogans against PDP-BJP Government and also in support of their demands.
They were demanding their regularization by framing a definite policy, clearance of their pending wages and enhancement of wages and the release of salary in time every month. They alleged that Government has been exploiting the hapless workers.
The Union leaders Tanveer Hussain, Deepak Gupta and Bhanu Partap addressed the gathering. They criticized the State Government and PHE authorities for ignoring the genuine and justified demands of the PHE workers. They alleged that despite assurance by the ministers concerned in the past and senior officers their demands were not addressed.
After protest rally at Exhibition Ground, hundreds of PHE workers started protest march towards Civil Secretariat. They were carrying banners and placards in their hands, shouting slogans. As they reached at India Colony near Bus Stand, a strong contingency of police stopped them by raising barricades and concertina wire. There was some scuffle between cops and workers, but the police did not allow them to move ahead. After holding protest there at busy Indira Chowk for about half an hour, the protesting workers dispersed. The movement of vehicles was also disrupted there for some time.
Meanwhile, the PHE workers have accorded full support to the protest march programme of the Joint Platform of all the employees bodies in Jammu on December 19. Later, a delegation of workers met the minister concerned but the workers refused to suspend strike.
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