After govt assurance, power workers call off 44-day strike

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 18

The casual labourers of the power development department (PDD) on Friday called off their 44-day-long agitation after assurance from the government that their demands will be addressed within a month.

As many as 3,405 workers engaged by the department for repair and maintenance of its critical equipment and high-tension power lines across the Jammu region were on protest over the denial of wages for the period ranging from two to four years.

Hundreds of workers drawn from various districts of Jammu, including those who have become handicapped due to accidents, were staging daily protests outside the office of the chief engineer of the power department.

“The chief engineer has sought one-month time to address our grievances and streamline the process. We have called off our strike. We hope the government will release our pending salaries and streamline the process,” said Akhil Sharma, president, All J&K PDD Need-Based and Casual Workers’ Union.

Apart from the issues of delayed wages, they are demanding the implementation of SRO-381 and regularisation of workers who have completed more than seven years in the department. However, the process is going on at a snail’s pace.

“For years, the successive governments have befooled the workers and exploited them. We hope under the Governor’s administration, justice will be done with us,” said Ashish Verma, another union leader.

Casual labourers are the backbone of the PDD. In the past two decades, as many as 100 workers have died while performing their duty, but their families have not received any relief as they were not permanent.