Jammu, Nov 10 : Hundreds of daily wagers on Monday staged a protest in Jammu, demanding regularisation of their services and a hike in their wages, saying they have been working for decades without job security.
According to KNS Correspondent, The protest, which began near Indira Chowk, saw a large gathering of workers from various departments, including the Public Health Engineering (PHE), Power Development Department (PDD), and other civil sector units.
The protesters marched towards the Civil Secretariat but were stopped by police near the main bridge, leading to a brief standoff.
Witnesses said the workers, shouting slogans in support of their demands, blocked parts of the road, causing traffic disruptions in the area. Police had to place barricades to prevent them from proceeding further.
The daily wagers said they had been working for several years, in some cases for decades, but their services have not been regularised. “Many of us have been working for more than 20 to 25 years. Some have even retired without being made permanent. We do the same work as regular employees, yet our pay remains just ₹9,000 per month,” one of the protesters said.
The workers alleged that despite repeated assurances from successive governments, their demands have not been met. They said the rising cost of living has made it difficult to survive on their current wages. “We were hopeful that our issue would be resolved when the new administration took over, but our pleas continue to be ignored,” said another daily wager.
Some protesters claimed that they had disconnected water supply lines to the MLA hostel and the Chief Minister’s residence in protest, saying the move was symbolic to highlight their struggle. “We will continue our protest until the government takes concrete steps to regularise us,” they said.
Police maintained a strong presence at the site to prevent any law and order situation. Officials said the protesters were allowed to demonstrate peacefully but were stopped from entering the high-security Civil Secretariat area.
As the protest continued through the day, traffic movement around Indira Chowk and nearby routes was affected. Authorities appealed to the protesters to maintain calm and assured that their grievances would be conveyed to the higher authorities.
The daily wagers, however, said they would not call off their agitation until their long-pending demands were met. “We will intensify our protest if the government does not take action soon,” one of the workers said.
The protest ended in the evening, with the workers vowing to return if their issues remain unresolved.(KNS).
