Amritsar: Seeking wage hike, mid-day meal workers stage protests, take out march

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 12

District unit of the Mid-day Meal Workers’ Union along with hundreds of mid-day meal workers held a protest in front of the Trillium Mall today.

They staged a protest against the state government’s apathy towards their demands and repeated requests. Calling upon Cabinet Minister Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar, the union leaders said they had written letters to several officials and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema seeking wage hike.

Union’s state general secretary Mamata Sharma said over eight months had passed but their demand for wage hike had been addressed. “The mid-day meal cooks and workers, serving in various government schools of Punjab, are being paid meager wages which is sheer oppression. We have not received our dues since past three months, yet are continuing our work without any break. Shouldn’t the government consider our rightful demand as we understand our responsibility towards our job?” she asked.

She said the workers should be brought under the minimum wages law and be given a wage of Rs 10,700 per month. “Mid-day meal workers should also be given medical leaves and six-month maternity leave like other Punjab Government workers. Workers retrenched from mid-day meal should be adjusted in government schools of Punjab. ESI facility and EPF should be cut, so that the future of mid-day meal workers can be secured. The state government should provide free insurance of at least five lakh for the workers, so that free medical treatment and financial assistance to their families can be provided in case of any untoward incident,” she said.

The leaders said their struggle would continue until their demands are met. They also threatened to intensify their stir if the government doesn’t show any positive response.

Tarn Taran: The district branch of the Mid-day Meal Workers’ Union, Punjab, organised a district-level rally at the Gandhi Municipal Park here on Saturday. They took out a march in the town and presented a memorandum of demands to Tarn Taran AAP MLA Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal. Workers from across the district participated in the march.

Union’s district president Raj Kaur and other union leaders addressed the workers on the occasion. They said AAP leaders, during their election campaign, had assured them of doubling their honorarium after the formation of the government, but even failed to pay their previous full honorarium in time.

The leaders demanded that they should be given the honorarium at par with minimum wages, uniforms twice a year, removal of workers after following legal process etc.

While taking out a march, the workers also raised slogans. Members of the Democratic Mulazam Front (DMF) supported the demands of the agitating mid-day meal workers. DMF district president Nachhattar Singh too addressed the workers on the occasion and assured that the DMF would extend the demands of the mid-day meal workers till their demands are met.

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