Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr. Farooq Abdullah today affirmed that NC is committed to ensuring the protection of employees and preventing any form of discrimination against them.
He said this while presiding over a one-day convention of the party’s Trade Union wing of Kashmir province at the party headquarters, Nawa-i-Subh, Srinagar.
The event was organized by the convenor of the Trade Union Wing, Haji Ghulam Nabi Wani Tailbali. Additional General Secretary Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, and senior leaders Mohammad Shafi Uri, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Sharif-ud-Din Shariq, Justice (Retd.) Hasnain Masoodi, Adv Showkat Mir, Jagdesh Singh Azad, and Ghulam Nabi Bhat were present on the occasion.
Interacting with trade union leaders, Dr. Farooq said that it was a travesty that those who work tirelessly to support our communities are being undervalued and disregarded. “The time has come for their voices to be heard and their demands to be met. The dedicated scheme workers, such as Anganwadi workers, helpers, and ASHAs, are forced to toil away for meager wages. They have been tirelessly advocating for fair compensation or a stable salary for years, yet their pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Similarly, the Mid-Day Meal Workers, CPWs, MGNREGA employees, contractual workers, HDF workers, construction workers, Need-Based workers, ABPMJAY workers, as well as seasonal and casual laborers, are all being overlooked and their urgent needs continue to be ignored.”
Emphasizing the urgent need for implementation of the Minimum Wages Act, he urged the government to set the minimum wage at Rs 26,000 per month for all casual laborers, seasonal workers, contract workers, daily laborers, transport workers, and employees in various industries and shops.
He implored the party trade union leaders to tirelessly advocate for the concerns of employees. “The government’s promises to implement the Minimum Wages Act and regularize contractual employees have fallen short. However, when the NC government takes power, we will make unwavering efforts to tackle this issue and guarantee equality among employees.”
