Over a dozen education department employees, including a woman, were injured when police used force on a protest demonstration in Srinagar on Wednesday.
Earlier scores of contingent paid workers (CPWs) of education department including sweepers, watchmen and others gathered in city center Lal Chowk’s Pratap Park under the banner of J&K contingent paid employees union demanding framing of proper regularization policy for them.
The employees were also supported by senior leaders of Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC).
When they tried to take out a protest rally towards the Civil Secretariat, police prevented them from marching ahead.
Police used batons and pepper gas to disperse the protesting employees, resulting in injuries to over a dozen protesters. Police also detained scores of protesting employees.
“We are working with the department for past 30 years on meager salary. The government is not serious about framing a proper regularization policy for us,” said Nazir Ahmad Rather, state president of contingent paid employees union.
“On May 18, the government put out a notice to engage new 20,000 daily wagers in education department who will be regularized later, while we are waiting for decades. Why can’t they regularize us instead of engaging new employees?” he asked.
President EJAC, Abdul Qayoom Wani, while speaking to the employees said that in 2011 government passed SRO-308 securing 50% quota to CPWs in whatever jobs will be created, but education department has not kept any share for CPWs in the new proposed requirement of 20000 employees in the department.
The employees said that they will go on strike on 4th June and if government did not pay heed to their demands, they will intensify their agitation.