UDHAMPUR/THATHRI: Up in arm against alleged non-adherence of Labour laws and less wages, labourers and workers of different construction companies, engaged for construction of Chenani-Nashri tunnel, held a token protest.
State Vice President Congress (INC) and MLA Inderwal, Ghulam Mohammad Saroori today met with angry workers of Chenani-Nashri tunnel who held a massive protest demonstration against Government inaction and indifference towards their genuine and legitimate demands.The protesting workers apprised Saroori of their pending demands which include implementation of labour laws and minimum Wages Act, nonpayment of the salaries, wages in lieu of overtime, safeguard equipments, engagement of local labourers, termination of outsider labourers, non-adherence of labour laws by the companies, grant of casual, earned and medical leave.
Addressing the workers, Saroori said that the basic right to protest in favour of demands is being crushed whenever people demonstrate. He said that the workers are denied basic statuary facilities and are also being subjected to unlawful victimization in terms of basic rights whenever they protest through a strong contractor management-administration-police nexus.Saroori lamented that the workers at Chenani-Nashir tunnel are not being paid even minimum wages, not covered under social benefits like Employees Provident Fund Act, not being paid their allowances for overtime and there is no sufficient safety mechanism available to them. He asked Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Labour Commissioner and Official of Construction Company to address the genuine demands of workers working in the said project at an earliest. He also assured the workers that if the DC Udhampur and other officials didn’t take any step in addressing these issues before the start up of upcoming Assembly session. Congress Party will raise these issues on the floor of the Assembly so that your (Labourer) demands would be addressed on priority. Saroori also inspected the construction work of the tunnel at Chenani.