Tarn Taran: PWD contractual staff up in arms

Our Correspondent

Tarn Taran, September 27

Contractual employees of the Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Department lodged a protest against a letter issued by the Head of Department (HOD) recently.

Burn copies of order

Contractual employees of the Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Department lodged a protest against a letter issued by the Head of Department (HOD) recently

The protesting employees burnt copies of the departmental letter and demanded its withdrawal.

The protesting employees burnt copies of the departmental letter and demanded its withdrawal.

The employees, under the banner of the Jal Supply Contract Workers’ Union, Punjab, staged protests in Tarn Taran, Kakka Kandiala, Amarkot, Bhikhiwind, Khadoor Sahib, Chohla Sahib and other sub-divisions of the department.

Union state leader Gurwinder Singh Bath, in his address in Tarn Taran, said the department in its letter issued recently, under the name of pay party for the enlisted employees, had ended the benefit of their years of service with the department, which was to the tune of 10 to 15 years.

He said as per the new orders, all employees would be given salary of the initial scale. The leader said previously, the enlisted/out-sourced employees had been getting salary under three categories — zero to five years of service, five to 10 years and 10 to 15 years of service. He demanded that the previous structure should be resumed and the recently issued orders should be withdrawn. The protesting employees also demanded regularisation.

The employees said they would stage a two-day dharna in front of the offices of the XENs in the district on September 29 and 30.