Mid-day meal workers stage dharna

On the seventh day of the indefinite pen-down strike by the ministerial staff among the mid-day meal employees working under the Sarav Sikhia Abhiyan, a dharna was staged at all nine block headquarters on Tuesday in the district to lodge a strong protest against the state government.

The call for strike was given by the Sarav Sikhia Abhian Mid-Day Meal Daftari (Office) Karamchari Union, Punjab to stress on their current demands.

Baljinder Singh, district president and other leaders of the union, informed that as the agitating employees work in block level offices, their strike had paralysed normal work of the Education Department.

The union leaders said that the employees staged a dharna in front of block offices in Tarn Taran, Noordi, Patti, Naushehra Pannuan, Chohla

Sahib, Gandiwind, Bhikhiwind, Khemkaran and Khadoor Sahib.

Baljinder Singh and other leaders of the union, while addressing the protesting employees, said that the state government had regularised the services of 8,886 teachers working under Sarav Sikhia Abhiyan in 2018 but the services of employees working in block-level offices was left as it is and they have been fighting against the disparity, accusing the state government of adopting delaying tactics. The leaders warned the state government of intensifying the agitation in case their genuine demands were not accepted soon. The

union was also stressing on why their monthly salary was reduced from Rs 30,000 to Rs 25,000 for the last two years.