Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 6: The daily rated, consolidated and ITI trained workers of PHE Department held strong protest demonstration in support of their demand of releasing 60 months’ pending wages, here today.
A large number of daily rated workers of the PHE department under the banner of All J&K PHE ITI Trained, CP and Land Owners Workers Association, Jammu assembled at Press Club near Exhibition Ground here today and started protest demonstration. The workers from various PHE Divisions and Sub Divisions of Jammu, Samba, Udhampur and Kathua area attended the protest programme.
The protesting workers were shouting slogans against the Governor’s Administration and higher authorities in PHE and Finance departments. They alleged that authorities have failed to release pending wages of the workers for the last about 60 months. They termed it as worst kind of exploitation of the working class by the Government while and pointed out that the J&K Labour Commission and Human Rights organisations have shut their eyes towards this grave issue.
President of the Association, Tanveer Hussain said that families of the workers are facing starvation. They are unable to pay even the school fee of their children. Under such circumstances, they will not be able to complete their studies. He said the workers are protesting since long for their hard earned wages, but the authorities at the helm of affairs are least bothered about the miseries of their families. The starved workers are now left with the only option to commit suicide en-mass. The responsibility of this unfortunate move would lie upon the officers denying them their wages, he maintained.
Tanveer said there were 32000 PHE workers waging struggle since long in the State. While 23000 are there in Jammu division, remaining 9000 in Kashmir. There were high expectations from the Governor SP Malik but despite assurance by the Advisor their issue remained unresolved till date.
Prominent trade unionists- Deepak Gupta vice president, Subhash Chander -general secretary, Manjeet Singh, Vijay Kumar, Jeevan Singh, Tilak raj, Pawan Kumar and others also spoke on the occasion.
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