PHE workers stage protest, demand their regularisation

PHE daily wagers staging protest in Jammu on Monday. -Excelsior/ Rakesh
PHE daily wagers staging protest in Jammu on Monday. -Excelsior/ Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 15: The daily rated, consolidated and ITI trained workers of PHE department held strong protest demonstration near Press Club here today.
A large number of PHE workers, which are on strike since long assembled at Exhibition Ground near Press Club in the morning. The workers from all the Divisions and PHE sub Divisions of Jammu district, besides some other districts under the leadership, Tanveer Hussain shouted slogans in support of their demands. They were demanding release the pending wages of over 55 months from the Government and their regularization.
They tried to take out protest march but her police did not allow them to do so. Many of them were carrying banners depicting their demands of release of wages and their regularization. They also raised loud slogans against Chief Engineer, Commissioner/ Secretary PHE, I&FC and the concerned Advisor.
Besides Tanveer Hussain, several other trade unionists addressed the gathering and strongly criticized the higher authorities for not releasing their wages for the last more than 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 urged upon the Governor and the concerned Advisor, to address their long pending issue on humanitarian ground. The Union leaders asked to workers to participate in Srinagar Chalo Programme and attended grant protest rally at Partap Park Srinagar on July 23.