Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 21: The PHE workers held strong protest demonstration against Government, while the water supply has been badly affected across the region as the strike of the employees entered the 15th consecutive day today.
The PHE workers are on strike under the banner of PHE Employees United Front, Jammu province since February 7. Today was the 15th day of their strike. The workers are sitting on protest dharna in the office of Chief Engineer, PHE, BC Road complex besides other district and Sub Divisional headquarters.
They are demanding release of backlog earned wages of the workers pending since long, regularization of DRWs, provide job to one of the family members of the deceased daily rated worker, Rs 5 lakh assistance at the time of retirement, filling up of vacant posts, repair/ maintenance of pumping houses/ water stations and provide basic facilities at water stations for the staff. They also demanded that rider of 12 months on wages be removed.
They held strong protest demonstration against Govt at BC Road PHE complex and other PHE Divisional level offices today. While addressing protesting workers senior members of the Front said that work remained totally paralysed in all the PHE Divisions in the region. But unfortunately the UT Administration has paid no attention towards the plight of the agitating employees.
They alleged that concerned higher authorities have not responded properly to their demands and they have been forced to extend their strike. The strike will be continued till honourable negotiation and settlement of all the issues, they added.
Prominent Union leaders/ trade unionists who addressed the agitating employees included, Bakshi Singh, Subhash Verma, Tanveer Hussain, Bhanu Partap Singh, Jyoti Kumar, Ravi Kumar, Binkel Manhas, Swarn Singh, Hoshiar Singh, Deepak Gupta and others.
Meanwhile, the water supply has been badly affected in many parts of Jammu city and rural areas of the region due to ongoing strike of the workers. The general public has been suffering due to suspension of water supply.
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