Contractual staff hold protest for regularisation

Fatehgarh Sahib, July 22

The outsourced and contract employees of various government departments under the banner of Theka Mulajim Sangharsh Morcha (Punjab) today held a protest in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner in support of their demand to regularise their services. They raised slogans and burnt an effigy of the state government.

District president of Water Supply and Sanitation Contract Workers Union Gurwinder Singh and other leaders said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power by promising to merge the outsourced and enlistment contract employees of all departments. However, it was whiling away time by forming sub-committees, he alleged.

The protesters said the employees working on contract in various departments were given very low remuneration, while no other facility was provided to them. They alleged that under the guidelines of the Central Government and the World Trade Organization, the state government had adopted the policy of privatisation of all government institutions providing affordable services to the people and the sanctioned posts were being cancelled.

The leaders said on July 1, the Chief Minister held a meeting with the state committee of the morcha and promised to resolve their issues by holding a panel meeting on July 20, but later cancelled the meeting, which indicated that it was deceiving the contract employees. They said their struggle would continue until they got regular jobs.

Union general secretary Kulbir Singh, senior VP Balbir Sah, Kuldeep Singh Hussainpur also addressed the protesters.