AS part of nation-wide demands day on July 10, hundreds of workers carrying red flags and banners assembled at Sheri Kashmir Park to mark the demands day.

Organised by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the rally was attended by scheme workers, daily wagers and contract, seasonal workers associated with Kashmir Constructional Workers Union.

While addressing the rally, CITU state president, Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami said that the present dispensation is making every attempt to erode whatever achievements were made by the working class over the years. The government has been initiating harsh measures against the working class across the country. The policies pursued by the government have led to job losses and livelihood of common people. The unemployment rates have reached levels never seen before. The government has miserably failed to address the issues people face.

The working class has tremendous tasks in these challenging times to continue building broader unity to defend the natural resources and national assets.

Scheme workers like anganwadi workers and helpers, and ASHAs are compelled to work on paltry emoluments. They have been fighting for better remuneration or a fixed salary over the last many years but to no avail. Similarly, the mid-day meal workers, CPWs, MGNREGA employees, contract workers, HDF, construction workers, need based, seasonal and casual workers are neglected and their long pending demands are not being met. The demand for implementation of Minimum Wages Act was underscored and it was urged upon the government to fix the minimum wages to Rs 26000 per month to all casual workers, seasonal, contract, daily wagers, transport workers, workers working in different industries and shops.

Tarigami appealed to all shades of political opinion to support the genuine demands of workers. ‘They must list these demands in their manifesto. We must unitedly raise our voice in defense of working people in J&K,’ he said.

Others who spoke on the occasion include Ab Rashid Pandit, trade union leader, Lateefa, Haneefa, Suraya, Masooda, anganwadi union leaders, and Dilshada and Firdousa, ASHA union leaders. These leaders outlined the demands including scrapping the four labour codes, ending National Monetisation Pipeline and other forms of privatisation, ensuring job security for contract workers, including continuation of employment even when contractors change, and equal wages and benefits as permanent workers, rescinding notifications reducing penal charges on employers defaulting on EPF, EPS, and EDLI dues, scraping the new pension scheme, restoring the old pension scheme,  minimum pension of Rs 9,000 or above for EPS pensioners, recognising scheme workers (such as anganwadi workers, ASHAs, and midday meal workers) as workers and providing them with minimum wages and social security benefits, including pensions.

They urged the administration to implement the agreement signed between NHM management and ASHA Workers Union Jammu on October 3, 2023 at Jammu and implement EPFO Commissioner's directions to cover all casual paid workers of BRO under the EPF scheme and ensure job security and regularisation of all workers.

The other demands include enforcing labour laws for construction workers involved in roads, railway tracks, and other projects across J&K, pension for all construction workers registered under the Jammu & Kashmir Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Board.

These demands aim to improve wages, job security, and social security for various categories of workers in Jammu & Kashmir.