JAMMU: The Female Multi Purpose Health Workers (FMPHWs) under the banner of the Jammu Kashmir Medical Employees Federation (JKMEF) held a protest in front of the Directorate of Health Services here today demanding immediate release of salaries, which have not been paid for the last over 18 months.
The protest was led by Neelam Kumari, General Secretary, Jammu Kashmir FMPHWs Association and Sushil Sudan, President JKMEF. Workers raised slogans against the attitude of the government towards the female multipurpose workers, who have been working without salaries.
Speaking on the occasion, Sudan alleged that they had urged the successive state governments to settle the issue of the workers and ensure that workers did not face discrimination.
He said nothing had been done to settle the issue by the authorities, except for the assurances. He also demanded increase in the grade of multipurpose workers. He alleged that due to the non-payment of salaries for such a long time they were unable to meet the daily expenses of their families.
“Despite repeated requests made to the Minister for Health, Medical Education, ARI and Trainings, Ch. Lal Singh, nothing has been done practically except assurances with the result the FMPHWs are starving and have left with no option but accelerate their agitation till their salary is released,” he said.
Sudan said FMPHWs were facing immense financial problems and are living the life of penury as they had not been paid salary for months together and demanded that the issue be settled once for all. He urged the authorities to solve the issue and provide salaries to the workers.
He warned that if the demands of workers were not met they would be forced to launch a mass agitation and on 23rd June a protest would be organised in case their salary is not released by then.
Others present were Urmil, Kamla Devi, Kanta Devi, Rekha Rani, Sarso Devi, Nirmal Kour, Geeta Massih, Kuldeep Kour, Swaran Kour, Sarso Devi, Bharti, Sharda Devi, Rajni Bala, Shoba, Kanta Kumari, Sarita Devi, Adrish Devi, Champa Devi, Snesh Lata, Rajni, Reeta Kumari, Sudesh, Rani Devi, Babli, Gurmeet Kour, Surinder Pal Singh, Fida Hussian, Om Parkash, Sanjay Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar and Balwant Singh.
Leaders from JKMEF included Vinod Kumar Sharma, Yougal Bakshi, R.P Singh, Kamaljeet Sawhney, Jarnail Choudhary, C.L Koul, Mohd Saleem, Suresh Gupta, Sandeep Kumar and Kulraj.