Scores of employees working in various Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) Tuesday held a protest demonstration to press for the release of their salaries they said were pending for the last several months.
The employees, who assembled at Press Enclave Lal Chowk Srinagar under the banner of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Sector Employees and Workers Federation, alleged that they are on the verge of starvation as they do not have any resources to feed their families.
News agency KNO quoted President the federation, Wajahat Hussain saying that when article 370 was abrogated, PM Modi “announced on national television that all demands of employees will be fulfilled”.
“But, we are still without salaries for the last several months despite government assurances thereby forcing us to come out on roads,” he said.
Hussain said that employees of SFC were without salaries for the last 6 months, those of JKSRTC for the last 4 months while employees of JK Cements, Handloom Development Corporation, Arts Emporium and JKTDC were without salaries for the last 22 months, 5 months, 8 months and 2 months respectively.
“Government had made big promises but despite that, we are without salaries and are on the verge of starvation. These PSUs have been working as frontline warriors during the COVID-19, but our salaries are not being released,” he said.
Hussain said that their families are suffering as they don’t have any other resources to feed them.
He urged the government to come clean whether they want to continue with the PSUs.
“If they want to continue these PSU, they should frame a proper policy for that. We don’t want to die of starvation at our homes. We have now decided to hit roads to seek justice for ourselves,” he said.