People's Democracy

  Srinagar Witnesses Very Big Rally By Workers

 ON July 9, more than 25,000 employees and workers held a historic rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Park, Srinagar, to protest against the massive casualisation of jobs in government departments. They also voiced opposition to the new pension scheme and regularisation of contract workers and other temporary workers like Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers, Anganwadi workers and helpers, casual labour and adhoc employees. Revival of public sector units in the state and release of 3 per cent DA were among the other demands raised.

 This was for the first time in the history of employees’ movement in Kashmir that such a huge rally had taken place. The call for the rally was given by the Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC), a broader platform of almost all the organisations of employees in Kashmir like the JKCCTU, GEC, WEC, EAF, JKTF, MEU etc.

 The employees and workers thronged the state capital from all the districts since early morning. They came by buses, matadors and other vehicles, carrying banners, and shouting slogans against privatisation and casualisation and for regularisation and people’s unity.

 The rally was addressed by Teachers Forum chairman Abdul Qayum, JKCCTU president Mohd Maqbool, Fayaz Shabnam (EWC), Khurshid Kutty (EAF) and Gulzar Bandy (GEC), among others. The speakers lashed on the present economic policies of the centre and state governments, and explain their disastrous results for employees and workers. They demanded stop to privatisation and casualisation, withdrawal of pension scheme, regularisation of workers and employees, and immediate wage increase for all temporary workers. They also served a notice on the state government to respond to these demands within a month or face an intense struggle.