Daily wage workers from various government departments on Thursday staged a protest at Sher-i-Kashmir Park here, demanding regularisation of their services and payment of pending salaries, and warned of a march to the National Conference headquarters on February 16 if their grievances are not addressed.
The protestors were joined by their families, including children carrying placards with messages such as, “We dream too, don’t ignore us.”
The protesters are demanding the implementation of long-pending promises regarding the regularisation of their services and the enforcement of the Minimum Wages Act.
Many workers said they have not received their salaries for months, specifically alleging that payments have been pending since November 2025. They said the delay has left them struggling to meet basic needs, including food expenses and school fees.
The protesters warned that they will hold a “March to the National Conference Office” on February 16 if their grievances are not addressed.
Sajad Ahmad, president of the Daily Wagers’ Association, said they were forced to take to the streets with their families and children.
“Why are we on the roads with our families and children? We are being forced to do this. The government should make its policy towards us clear. They made promises during the elections, and we gave them a huge mandate. We have decided to march to Nawa-e-Subha, the headquarters of the National Conference, which won 50 seats in the elections, and ask them what they have done for us,” he said.
The government has initiated some steps to address the issue. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has announced the formation of a high-powered committee, led by the Chief Secretary, to prepare a roadmap for regularisation before the next budget session.
In addition, a private member’s bill titled “The Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Special Provisions for Regularization of Adhoc, Daily Wagers, Need-Based and Other Temporary Workers) Bill, 2025” is set to be introduced in the Legislative Assembly.
The region has over 61,000 daily wagers who have been working for decades on fixed salaries. Although successive governments have included the regularisation of these employees in their election manifestos, the issue has remained unresolved after they assumed power.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
