Daily wagers stage protest in IIOJK, demand regularisation & pending dues
Jammu: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, daily wagers marched towards Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence, demanding regularisation, implementation of minimum wages and release of pending payments.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the police stopped the protesters and detained their leader.
All Daily Wagers, Jammu Kashmir, Sangarsh Samiti, a conglomeration of daily wagers, daily-rated employees, and ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) workers, has been demanding regularisation, the release of pending payments, and the implementation of minimum wages.
Led by Samiti’s Chairman Sunny Kant Chib, scores of daily wagers and casual workers from several departments, including women, took to the streets to protest against the Omar Abdullah-led government for failing to address their long-pending “genuine demands”.
Raising slogans against the chief minister and the government, they marched towards the CM’s residence on the Residency Road but were stopped by a large police contingent at Shaheedi Chowk.
The police detained Sunny Kant Chib, prompting women workers to sit on a dharna at the chowk, seeking an audience with the chief minister to address their demands.
“We have been demanding regularisation of hundreds of daily wagers, release of wages of a large number of casual workers and implementation of minimum wages, but the government has done nothing,” Chib told reporters before his detention. He said that injustice has been done to hundreds of daily wagers and casual workers for years. “We wanted to meet the CM to urge him to address this concern,” he said.
Meanwhile, daily wagers staged a protest at Chinar Park in Handwara of Kupwara district, demanding implementation of the Minimum Wages Act and regularisation of their services.
The protestors expressed anger over what they described as the authorities’ prolonged indifference toward their genuine demands. They said despite working for years on daily wages, performing duties similar to regular employees, they continue to face financial insecurity and a lack of recognition.
“We have been serving the department for years at par with regular staff, but without any job security or fair pay. The authorities have pushed our families into economic distress,” said one of the protesting women. Another protester said that they were only seeking what was rightfully theirs under the law. “We are not asking for anything special, only that the Minimum Wages Act be implemented in letter and spirit,” she said.
The protestors urged the authorities to take immediate steps to regularise their services and ensure strict enforcement of minimum wage laws across occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
