Contractual workers take out march, block traffic

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 20

Members of the Contract Employees Morcha on Sunday staged a protest against the state government over ignoring their demands.

Asha workers, mid-day meal workers, forest workers, mid-day meal office workers and various other temporary and contract employees participated in the protest.

They gathered outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office and from there they took out a protest march up to the bus stand, where they staged a protest by blocking the main GT Road for some time and also raised slogans against the state government.

The protest was headed by Lakhwinder Kaur, Balbir Sivian, Deepak Singh and others. 

While addressing the protesters, union leaders, lashing out at the Capt government, alleged that mid-day meal workers, part-time sanitation workers, forest workers and other temporary and contract employees were being exploited while the government was had turned a blind eye towards this.

They demanded that as per the 2016 notification, jobs of all 27,000 contract employees should be regularised. 

They alleged that the state government, in the name of amendment in the notification, was planning to scrap the notification, which would not be tolerated. They also condemned the termination of five SSA/RMSA teacher union leaders by the state government. 

They also demanded that Asha and mid-day meal workers should be given Rs 18,000 salary per month, part-time workers should be given an allowance of Rs 8,077 and jobs of workers with more than three years of experience should be regularised.

Democratic Employees’ Federation leaders Jaswinder Singh, Jaspal Singh, Mela Singh, Baldev Singh and Sukhwinder Kaur also addressed the protesters.