Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 8: Up in arms against no change in summer timing for the Government offices in Jammu region, Jammu Kashmir Government Employees Action Forum has threatened stir if the working hours are not changed as per past practice.
Addressing a joint press conference under the banner of the Employees Action Forum, senior trade unionists and employees’ leaders announced to hold a one-day protest demonstration on May 14 near Press Club Jammu if their demand is not conceded by then.
“The Government should either change the existing office timing as per past practice or adopt five-day week,” said Sushil Sudan, president of J&K Medical Employees Federation, while highlighting the difficulties being faced by the employees, because of 10 am to 4.30 pm office timing in summer days.
“If the Government feels that employees can work from 10 am to 4.30 pm during the summer days in Jammu, then let the Civil Secretariat continue functioning here instead of affecting Darbar move to Srinagar, which costs crores of rupees to the State exchequer,” said Babu Hussain Malik, another trade unionist.
Ganesh Khajuria, president of Jammu Kashmir Teachers Forum, also addressed the press conference and highlighted some other demands, including restoration of Mediclaim policy for the Government employees, enhancement of the Medical Allowance from Rs 300 to Rs 5000 per month and early regularization of the Daily Wagers, who have completed more than seven years in service.
The leaders of the Forum urged Governor Satya Pal Malik to personally intervene into the matter and issue necessary instruction for addressing their demands. They also appealed all the section of the employees to participate enmass in the scheduled protest demonstration on May 14 for mounting pressure on the State Government to concede all their genuine demands.
Others, who were present in the press conference, include Ravi Singh Bhau, Nazir Ahmed, Hari Singh, Suresh Sharma, Surat Singh Toofani, Kulwant Singh Sambyal, Vikas Chander, K C Dubey, N S Jamwal, Maheshwar Prasad, Anil Singh Slathia. Rakesh Magotra, Jagdish Sharma, Rajeev Sharma, Ashish Sharma, Arun Sharma, Uttam Chand Sharma, Ravi Kumar, Munish Sharma, Ansuiya Gupta, Gurmeet Singh, Umar Jaan, Darminder Singh, Lateef Qureshi, Balbir Singh, Ravinder Singh and Amrik Singh Sasan.