JAMMU: The contractual workers employed in Indian Institute of Integrative Medicines (IIIM)- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Canal Road, Jammu held a protest under the banner of CITU in front of the office of Controlling Officer Administration against illegal dismissal of workers employed for more than twenty years.
Addressing the agitating workers, Om Parkash, General Secretary, State CITU said that at least 145 workers employed on contractual basis at IIIM have been grossly exploited by the management as the benefits of various social security schemes like EPF and ESI and group insurance are not provided to them besides they are also not properly covered by other related labour laws like overtime, minimum wages, maternity benefits to female workers, etc. He said that for properly enforcement of labour laws and against illegal dismissal and sexual harassment of female workers at workplace the workers union has submitted their case before Regional Labour Commissioner (C)-Jammu for adjudication and in turn the management has thrown other 11 workers out of their jobs who were objecting the illegal termination of female workers namely Swarna Devi, Jyoti Devi and Usha Gill. He further added that as per the statement of female workers the management has been sexually harassing them for a long time and when they raised their voice against such erring persons, these poor female workers were thrown out of their services. He demanded that all workers should be reinstated on their jobs immediately and stringent action against such persons involved in sexual harassment under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal )Act 2013 be taken failing which Dharna demonstration will continue till their reinstatement.
Others who spoke on the occasion were senior leader State CITU, Sham Parsad Kesar, B.K Vaid, H.D. Bhomick, Ramesh Chand, Swarna Devi, Jyoti Devi and Usha Gill.