Education employees march towards DSEK office, foiled

Srinagar

All Jammu and Kashmir Contingent Paid Workers Employees Union of Education Department on Thursday held a protest demonstration in Press Enclave, Srinagar demanding regularization and hike in salaries.

Education dept employees protest in Srinagar, KL photo by Mihir Patilhande

Scores of employees assembled at Pratab Park Srinagar shouting anti-governmental slogans, “the government had promised us that we all will be implemented under SRO 520 but till now no initiatives have been taken by the authorities.

They said they are all qualified workers in the department and their services should be regularized as well.

“We demand that the state government should regularize our qualified workers working in the department,” said a protestor.

The workers demand the government to come up with a clear regularization policy and give the benefit of Minimum Wages Act.

protesting employees trying to march towards DSEK office from press colony, KL photo by Mihir Patilhande

“We have been delivering 24/7 service for a meagre amount of rupees 25 to 1000 that too from the last 20 years,” they said.

As soon as they tried to step out of Partap Park to march towards director education’s office, police swung into action and confined them to the press enclave where they held a sit-in and continued to protest.

Protesting employees shouting anti-government slogans in press colony, KL photo by Mihir Patilhande

Meanwhile, while supporting the demands of contingency paid workers (CPWs) engaged in different educational institutions across the State, CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam urged the government to regularize them without any further delay.

The spokesman said CPWs, who held a protest today at Press Enclave Srinagar, demanded that they should be included in the recent list of 60,000 casual workers who are being regularised.

In a statement issued today, Tarigami said that these workers have been functioning in various schools for many years now with the majority of them have put in 20 years consolidated service on insignificant monthly remuneration ranging from Rs 50 to 2000. Even in several cases during the 2016 unrest when the mysterious burning of schools started, the CPWs guarded the schools.

However, the government has never taken their issues seriously which is really a matter of distress. The meagre remuneration together with a long period of consolidated service in turbulent times warrants justice in the shape of regularization without any further delay, he said, adding that most of them have given their prime youth in anticipation of confirmation.

Police detaining protesting employees in press colony, KL photo by Mihir Patilhande

The CPI (M) leader suggested for confirming these workers on existing class-4th vacancies, which he said exist in hundreds in the education department in both the divisions. The regularization would put an end to the miseries of the employees, adding that education department can ill afford shortage of manpower given its vital importance in shaping and developing human resources.

 

The CPWs should be paid regular wages @Rs.110/- per day as assured earlier by the government. They are being paid less than the normal wages, which is a gross violation of Minimum Wages Act and severe injustice with them.

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