PHE daily rated workers’ protest enters 3rd day

Semi-naked PHE daily rated, ITI and CP workers staging protest at BC Road in Jammu on Wednesday. -Excelsior/ Rakesh
Semi-naked PHE daily rated, ITI and CP workers staging protest at BC Road in Jammu on Wednesday. -Excelsior/ Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 16:  The daily rated, ITI trained and community participation workers of  the PHE Department held protest demonstration by pulling out their shirts  and under shirts against the State Government at B C Road office complex on the third day of their protest programme here today.
On the consecutive third day today, the agitating daily rated workers struck their work and went on protest dharna in support of their long pending demands outside the office of Chief Engineer PHE Jammu. They loudly raised slogans against the higher authorities in the department. They were also demanding release of their pending wages.
A large number of workers under the leadership of Tanveer Hussain, union president   assembled at PHE complex in the morning and started protest demonstration followed by day long dharna. The PHE workers from various districts  and divisions including Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Reasi etc participated in the protest programme. Most of them were semi-naked while lodging their protest.
They are demanding framing of regularization policy for all community participation workers, daily rated, ITI trained and need base workers. They also demanded release of pending wages of  nearly 35 months of these workers. They warned to intensify their struggle in near future.
Besides Tanveer Hussain,  some trade unionists also addressed the gathering and  alleged that despite assurances by the former Minister and the Chief Engineer PHE, their issues have remained un-resolved. They  demanded that a policy be framed for the regularization of all type of temporary workers.
Tanveer Hussain alleged that the workers have launched three day strike programme and dharna to draw the attention of the Government towards their demands.  He said the workers will intensify the struggle if the concerned higher authorities failed to address their long pending issues.
Mr Hussain said the workers are on the roads. They are demanding their hard earned wages. It is unfortunate that Government instead of releasing their wages is trying to suppress them. The workers and their families are facing starvation but the Government is least bothered.