SRINAGAR: Police on Thursday foiled a march by Employees of the State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) to Raj Bhavan to highlight their demands, which included release of their salaries and retirement benefits.
Dozens of protestors, including chairman of the SRTC employees union Wajahat Hussain Durani were taken into preventive custody after using water cannon had no impact to disperse them.
Hundreds of employees of the SRTC on Thursday assembled at S K Park near here, raising slogans in favour of their demands and holding placards which reads ” regularization of consolidated employee”, release retirement benefits to retired employees, implementation of SRO 43 and 7th pay commission”.
However, when the employees started their march towards Raj Bhavan, police personnel deployed there swung into action. As soon protesting employee, led by Durani, tried to hit the main Residency road, police stopped them from moving ahead leading to clash.
Police used coloured water to disperse the agitated workers who wanted to march to Raj Bhavan to present their demands. The SRTC employees staged similar demonstration in support of their demands on October 8.
Durani said a letter was sent to management of the SRTC and other concerned that if their demands are not met before October 7 they will hold protests in the Kashmir valley and Jammu region in support of their demands Despite being essential service and working as frontline warrior during the COVID-19 pandemic, the employees were not being paid their salaries for the past four months, he said and demanded immediate release of wages to save employees from starvation.
Mr Durani said, ”We are demanding implementation of 7th pay commission and regularization of consolidated employees who are working in the SRTC for the past more than ten years.
“If Government cannot run the SRTC let it close the corporation and pay us our dues”, he said adding since it is essential service for common people it is the duty of the Government to run it smoothly. (AGENCIES)
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