PHE daily rated workers’ protest enters 5th day

PHE daily rated, ITI and CP workers staging protest dharna at BC Road in Jammu on Friday. — Excelsior/ Rakesh
PHE daily rated, ITI and CP workers staging protest dharna at BC Road in Jammu on Friday. — Excelsior/ Rakesh

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 18: The daily rated, ITI trained and community participation workers of  the PHE Department held protest demonstration against the State Government at B C Road office complex on the fifth day of their protest programme here today.
On the consecutive 5th 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.
Tanveer Hussain and several other 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 said that Chief Engineer PHE on Thursday during meeting assured to organuise a meeting with higher officials and members of committee framed for the purpose today but he failed to do so. The workers have now decided to go on indefinite strike.  He said the workers will intensify the struggle as concerned authorities failed to address their long pending issues and playing hide and seek game.
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 about it.