Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 27: Highlighting their demands, particularly the release of long pending wages of daily rated workers, members of PHE Employees Association held a strong protest demonstration at the office premises of Chief Engineer, here today.
Led by provincial president of PHE Employees Association and INTUC State president, Shiv Kumar Sharma, the protesting employees and workers raised slogans in support of their demands and against the PHE authorities.
While addressing the gathering, Shiv Kumar Sharma expressed serious concern over the pendency of wages of the daily wagers for the last two years. “Keeping in view the inflation, the matter of pending wages is a cruel joke on the working class, which has put precious years of their life in service of the department,” he said and urged the Government to formulate a proper policy for regularization of all daily wagers in the Government service.
Shiv Kumar Sharma alleged that the Government has started harassing even the regular employees of PHE Department by not releasing their arrears of 17 percent DA so far. “Moreover the GP Fund account of the employees are not maintained properly with the result that the working class faces harassment at the time of withdrawal of their own funds to cater to their social and domestic needs,” he added.
The Association president also criticized the department for its lukewarm response to other genuine issues and demands like convening of DPC meeting for all cadres twice a year so that deserving employees get their promotion and lower posts vacated for utilization of the same under SRO-43 and legal heirs of the deceased employees.
The protest dharna was also addressed by some other leaders, who highlighted the demands like enhancement of minimum wages, time bound promotion, creation of more vacancies for the field staff and ministerial staff, repair of the buildings and other immovable property of the Department, etc.
Those who spoke, include Vinod Kumar, Ajay Sharma, Raman Kumar, Som Nath, Faiz Akbar Chouhan, Chain Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Harbans Lal and others.
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