Workers’ protest rocks Srinagar

Members of Jammu and Kashmir Co-ordination Committee of Trade Unions (JKCCTU) shouting slogans during a protest against the recently passed National Pension Act in Srinagar on Thursday. -Excelsior/ Amin War
Members of Jammu and Kashmir Co-ordination Committee of Trade Unions (JKCCTU) shouting slogans during a protest against the recently passed National Pension Act in Srinagar on Thursday. -Excelsior/ Amin War

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 6: The summer capital today rocked with protests as hundreds of aggrieved workers of different departments held protests against the Government for failing to address their demands.
Jammu and Kashmir Co-ordination Committee of Trade Unions (JKCCTU) today staged protest against new National Pension Act, contractualisation, casualisation and outsourcing in Government and semi Government departments.
“The Central as well as State Government is hell bent upon to snatch the hard earned right to pension, we demand this notorious act be abolished,” Mohammad Maqbool, National Secretary All India State Government Employees and President JKCCTU said.
He also demanded an immediate regularization of all temporary workers of the State.
“The Government is violating the labour laws of poor employees by adopting contractualism in the departments, where employees are forced to work on fewer wage,” he said.
The protesters were also demanding the Government to ensure minimum wage of Rs 10,000 per month in favour of temporary working employees till their regularization.
Safaikaramcharis working in Health Department and Indian System of Medicines (ISM) protested against the Government for their failure to regularize their services and enhancement in their pay-scale.
They appealed the government to have a sympathetic look into the matter, or else, the Safaikaramcharis will observe complete strike that will have consequences’ over the functioning of the health institutions.
Scores of executives of BSNL, under the banner of Sanchar Nigam Executive Association held a dharna at the BSNL Headquarter here to press their demands for Standard Central Public Centre Union Pay scales, CPSU cadre hierarchy, finalising of policy and strategy in response to Reliance Jio, Stopping merger of MTNL with BSNL without sorting out critical policy issues.
The day long dharna was held under the leadership of S.A Showkat Divisional Secretary Kashmir Kasiar Ahmad Malik President, C. B. Singh, F. A. Kamili, and Masood Balla Organising Secretary were also present.
The Jammu and Kashmir Central Non-Gazetted Electrical Employees Union (JKCNGEEU) staged protests against the Government for their failure to regularize these employees.