JAMMU, November 2: Hundreds of daily wagers, including a large number of ASHA workers, staged a protest march in Jammu on Monday, demanding regularisation of their services and implementation of the Minimum Wages Act.
The protest was organised on the first day of the reopening of government offices in Jammu following the Darbar Move. Demonstrators gathered under the banner of the All J&K Daily Wagers Sangharsh Samiti and attempted to march towards the Civil Secretariat to press for their long-pending demands.
However, police personnel stopped the protesters near the MLA Hostel, where barricades and barbed-wire fencing had been installed to prevent them from moving towards the Secretariat.
As some demonstrators attempted to cross the barricades, a scuffle broke out between protesters and police personnel. Subsequently, Sunny Kant Chib, president of the All J&K Daily Wagers Sangharsh Samiti, was detained.
Addressing reporters, Chib said the organisation had been holding protests for the past two years, seeking fulfilment of the government’s promise to regularise daily wagers.
He expressed disappointment over the lack of progress and said Monday’s demonstration was aimed at reminding the government of its commitments.
Chib also demanded immediate implementation of the Minimum Wages Act and urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to issue the necessary regularisation orders.
Accusing the government of ignoring the problems of economically weaker sections, he said the concerns of daily wagers should be addressed instead of being overlooked.
The protesters warned that their agitation would continue until their demands for regularisation of services, implementation of minimum wages and other pending issues were resolved.
They appealed to the government to intervene and provide relief to thousands of workers who have been waiting for regularisation for years.
