PHE workers extend protest in Jammu over unpaid wages, other demands
Jammu: Hundreds of workers from the Jal Shakti (PHE) Department continued their protest outside the Chief Engineer’s office in Jammu for the 607th consecutive day on Tuesday.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the demonstrators, voicing their discontent against the occupation regime led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reiterated their demands for regularization of employment and immediate release of pending wages.
Represented by the PHE United Front, the protesting workers expressed frustration over enduring unpaid wages for over 75 months, despite promises from the government.
The protest underscores a wider trend of discontent among government employees in IIOJK. Over recent years, teachers, health workers, and sanitation staff have staged similar demonstrations, advocating for fair compensation, improved working conditions, and regularization of their services. These grievances are often linked to the discriminatory treatment meted out to the Kashmiri employees at the hands of the occupation regime.
Among the core issues raised by the protesters is the disparity in minimum wages prevailing in occupied Jammu and Kashmir compared to those mandated by the Indian government for its employees within Indian states. This wage gap significantly impacts workers’ ability to meet basic needs, exacerbated by prolonged delays in wage payments.
As the protest enters its second year, the unresolved grievances of PHE workers reflect the broader frustrations and uncertainties faced by many government employees across occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
