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| Consolidated paid workers stage protest, seek implementation of Minimum Wages Act | | |  EARLY TIMES REPORT
SRINAGAR, Mar 17: Outraged over the ‘step-motherly approach’ of the authorities concerned, scores of consolidated paid workers and casual Safai Karamcharis of J&K Health Department staged a massive protest demonstration in Press Colony here today pressing their demand for implementation of the Minimum Wages Act.
Shouting slogans against the Union Territory government, the protesting consolidated workers said that Safai Karamcharis, helpers and drivers working in the Health Department, who risked their lives during COVID-19 pandemic were being paid as less as Rs 100 per month.
“Who will make the government accountable when we are being paid merely Rs 100 or Rs 500, some of whom have been working in the Health department for the last 25 to 30 years,” they said.
“We also have a right to live an honourable life. Give justice to us by implementing minimum wages act and regularizing our services,” they added.
Another agitated consolidated paid worker said that despite performing their duties from dawn to dusk, they have been facing the official apathy regarding their genuine demand.
“We have been religiously performing our duties even through these tough times of Covid pandemic and have to clear the clutter out of the hospitals and health facilities, however we have been met with injustice time and again,” he said.
“Even as the daily-wagers of all other departments are being paid minimum wages, we somehow fail to understand as to why we have been made an exception despite our work to keep the surroundings clean,” he added.
Few others seconding the demands of their colleagues said that they have been facing a step-motherly approach from the authorities concerned.
“We urge the authorities to pay us as per the minimum wages act as we are unable to make both ends meet in meager salaries which are just peanuts when the prices of essential commodities are getting inflated with each passing day,” they said.
“We are hundreds of workers working in the Health Department as consolidated sweepers, drivers and helpers since 1994 however notwithstanding our contributions we are being ignored time and again by the authorities. Some of us are paid only Rs 800, some 500 while some get just a mere hundred rupees,” they added.
The protesting consolidated workers said that whenever they approached the authorities regarding their demand, each time they turned their backs onto them on one or the other ground.
“We yet again reiterate our demand to consider the implementation of minimum wages act as well as regularization of our services at the earliest so that our sufferings could be alleviated,” they said. |
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