Sangrur: Sewer men, plumbers end strike after 6 days

Sangrur, June 12

Following the intervention of Sangrur SDM, the six-day-old strike by sewer men, pump operators and plumbers working at the office of the Executive Engineer (XEN), Water Supply and Sewerage Division, ended here today. These workers were on strike since June 6 in protest against the non-release of their wages for two months by the private company which hired them.

The SDM held a meeting here today, in which besides the SDM, a police officer, XEN of the Water Supply and Sewerage Division, Sangrur, representatives of the company and the workers’ union took part.

Hardeep Kumar, branch general secretary of the Punjab Field and Workshop Workers Union, Sangrur, said at the meeting that it had been decided that the company would pay the pending wages of two months to the workers next week, he added.

Hardeep Kumar also said during the regime of Channi government the wages of the workers had been increased, but theirs had not been increased. However, the company had now assured them that their arrears against the increased wages would be credited into their bank accounts after two months, he added.

In protest against the non-issuance of their wages, the office of the XEN was gheraoed yesterday by the agitating workers for about two-and-a-half hours here. Due to the gherao, the XEN and some employees could not come out of the office at 5 pm as the agitating workers had locked the main gate. However, after the intervention of the administration, the agitating workers lifted the gherao at about 7 pm.