Srinagar: Casual labourers of the Animal Husbandry department Tuesday staged a sit-in protest here against the department for failing to comply with the recent government order approving hike in minimum wages of daily-rated workers from existing Rs 225 to Rs 300 per day.
It may be in place to mention that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had on Saturday last approved hike in minimum wages of the daily-wagers including the casual laborers, in all government departments from existing Rs 225 to Rs 300 per day as an interim measure till the minimum wage rates are revised by the Labor and Employment department.
The protesting casual laborers alleged that all 24 departments in Jammu and Kashmir adhered to the Lieutenant Governor’s recent order of approving hike in minimum wages and increased per day rates of daily-wagers and casual laborers; however, Animal Husbandry department is yet to implement it.
Hundreds of casual laborers under the banner of Animal Husbandry Casual Laborers Association (AHCLA) staged a sit-in protest at the department’s head office in Karan Nagar to press for the implementation of the order.
Talking to media, AHLC spokesman, Yasir Fayaz Naikoo said their department has never bothered to adhere to the government orders issued from time to time vis-à-vis hike in minimum wages.
He said the government had in 2018 hiked minimum wages to Rs 225 per day; however, the department of Animal Husbandry did not implement the order till date.
“Why is this injustice being meted out to us only? If the recent order was implemented in all 24 departments across J&K, why our department failed to implement the same in favor of its casual laborers?” he asked.
He claimed that casual labourers working in the Animal Husbandry department receive Rs 75 to 100 per day since 1994 as the department has not hiked their wages.
“We demand the Animal Husbandry department to immediately implement the order, failing which casual labourers will begin an indefinite hunger strike in the coming days,” he added.
