STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: More than 400 workers working in 30 gun factories of Ashok Nagar, Satwari Jammu have been on continuous strike which entered into 10th day on Friday in support of their demands under the banner of Industrial Estate Worker’s Union having affiliated with CITU. The workers went on strike after submitting the demand notice to the President of Employer’s Association . But the employers did not call the worker’s representatives for negotiations on their demands and they compelled the workers to go on strike. The demands are implementation of minimum wages according to SRO of J and K Govt, provision of tools to the workers for manufacturing of guns , coverage of all workers under ambit of EPF and ESI Acts, provision attendance card to all workers, regular entry month wise of EPF in pass book and 20 per cent increase in wages every year .
While addressing the workers H.D Bhomick, President of the Union said that the workers of Jammu are being paid at the rate of Rs.500 per piece even when he uses his own tools in all the gun factories of Jammu. While workers working in Kashmir Valley are being paid at the rate of Rs. 1,200 per piece with the tools provided by the employers. He appealed to the government for investigating gross exploitation of Jammu’s workers . Om Parkash General Secretary of the Union also spoke on the occasion. Sham Parkash Kesar Senior leader of CITU lamented that workers are working on piece rate and are being exploited by the employers under the nose of law enforcement machinery.
Others who spoke on the occasion were Baba Ram, Kailash Chander, Sanju Sharma, Ajay Sharma, Deepak Sharma, Suraj Sharma, Raj Kumar and Shambu Sharma.