Srinagar | July 26: Nearly 300 daily wagers and casual labourers from the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) Jammu undertook a five-day foot march from Jammu to Srinagar to demand regularisation of their services and resolution of long-standing employment grievances. They met Hon’ble Advisor to the Chief Minister J&K Mr. Nasir Aslam Wani and then Ms. Mandeep Kaur (IAS), Commissioner Secretary Housing & Urban Development Department and again presented their demands for regularisation of their casual and daily rated workers.
During a detailed interaction, she acknowledged the legitimacy of their demands and urged the employees to call off their strike, assuring them of the government’s commitment to addressing their issues of regularisation, their provident funds issues, issues of their wages and legal cases during the strike period, payment of relief to the workers who met with accident during performance of their legitimate duties. She informed them that proposal of reorganisation of Directorate of Jammu & Kashmir including all Urban local bodies is under active consideration of the department and shall soon be concluded to the benefit of these workers. She also assured them that Director Finance, Housing & Urban Development Department, has been directed to initiate reconciliation of PF contributions, ensuring transparency and rectification of discrepancies reported by the workers. Cases of workers who have met with accidents while on duty will be sent for financial assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund or any other fund, offering relief to families often left unprotected by the absence of formal insurance.
While the workers welcomed the government’s outreach, they strongly appealed for a time-bound and monitored implementation of the promised measures. They called upon the Chief Minister to personally oversee the progress to ensure credible follow-through.
The Padyatra concluded peacefully in Srinagar after both the meetings of the sanitation workers’ union, with the Union formally announcing a suspension of the strike in light of the government’s assurances. The workers remain hopeful but affirmed that their peaceful and democratic struggle will continue until all their demands are met in full.
Strike of sanitation workers of Urban local bodies Jammu ended peacefully and successfully
