Demanding regular jobs, wool shearers go on strike in Himachal

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, September 21

Protesting against the non-fulfilment of their demand, wool shearers of the Wool Federation of Himachal have gone on strike. They have started a dharna in Palampur.

They are alleging that the government has not regularised their jobs despite an assurance given in this regard by Chairman of the Wool Federation Trilok Kapoor and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

Malwar Singh, general secretary of the Wool Shearer Association, said 15 wool shearers had been working for the Wool Federation for the past 12 years. They were being paid on a commission basis despite the fact that they had to work round the year.

“Last year when we went on strike, the Chief Minister assured us that we would be absorbed in the corporation on a contract basis. However, despite the assurance, our jobs have not been regularised. Now, we have again gone on strike and will continue the protest till our demands are met”, he said.

Trilok Kapoor supported the demand of the wool shearers and said absorbing 15 wool shearers on the contract basis involved no financial burden. “I am taking up the matter with the Chief Minister and hope that the demand of the wool shearers will be met”, he said.

The strike of wool shearers is a bad news for shepherds, who are coming back from hills to Kangra district with their flocks of sheep. They have to get the wool sheared from their sheep before they start moving to lower areas of the state. If the wool is not sheared on time, the shepherds will suffer losses.

Sources said that 15 wool shearers were responsible for taking wool from about 7 lakh sheep in Himachal. The shearers had been trained and provided modern machinery for the purpose by the Wool Federation. However, if the wool shearers continue their strike it would spell trouble for thousands of shepherds of Himachal.