Police foil protest of contractual staff at I-Day function venue

Bathinda, August 17

Members of the Contractual Employees’ Sanghrash Committee were held captive by the city police, when they were heading towards the Multi-purpose Sports Stadium on Thursday.

The union members were moving towards the stadium to lodge protest over their long-pending demands, including regularisation of jobs. As the union members started to move out from Teachers’ Home after a meeting, a number of police personnel, who were already waiting for them outside the building, stopped them and prevented them from moving ahead. Later, representatives of the union submitted a memorandum of demands to Cabinet Minister Tript Rainder Bajwa, who was the chief guest at the Independence Day celebrations.

Contractual employees, including from Powercom Department, Water Supply and MGNREGA, had gathered at Teachers’ Home. Talking to Bathinda Tribune, Gurvinder Pannu, president of the union said: “Many contractual workers have not received skill allowance so far. The demand to regularise our services in the department is also pending. Despite rendering services diligently for years, the state government has not acknowledged our contribution and has failed to regularise us. We have also been asking for a hike in salary but nothing has been done by the state government so far.”

“Our salaries have been delayed and we have not been regularised. So, we had to protest. Gratuity and bonus are also pending,” he said. — TNS