The issue of impending strike of PHE daily wagers and non-payment of their dues since the past thirty-five months, was raised by R. S. Pathania, MLA Ramnagar in Zero Hour of Legislative Assembly and he was supported by Rajesh Gupta, MLA Jammu East, Daleep Parihar, MLA Bhadarwah and Ravinder Raina, MLA Nowshera, who were on their feet seeking an early indulgence from the government in this behalf.
Pathania was pretty vocal and ebullient enough to demand a commitment from the Government, ‘Within what period of time these daily wagers shall be paid their wages and steps be taken to cut short their strike by negotiations’ What is the wage policy of the government with respect to daily rated/ contractual/casual workers’ Whereas as per Minimum Wages Act, the government has itself put a bar as to nobody – may be a person or an organization or limited concern – can employ anybody on wages less than Rs. 157.00 per day. And section 22 of Minimum Wages Act specifies that paying less than minimum wages shall be a penal offence. But, on seeing the monthly wages of SPOs, ReTs, ReZs, casual labourers working on Rs. 500.00 per month, it comes to light that State itself is violating the Minimum Wages Act. Similar is the tell-tale of drivers/sweepers in state Health Deptt., Rets, ReZs, night-chowkidars in CAPD, Chowkidars in Panchayat Ghars, PTS appointed @ Rs. 100 p.m. by Health Deptt., AW Workers and AW Helpers and lambardars and chowkidars too whose appointment is a result of statute passed by this Assembly, and the total countdown is exhaustive. The protesting MLAs were also supported and vindicated by CPI (m) MLA Mohd Yuusf Tarigami.
Whereas ‘right to decent living wage’ is itself a fundamental right flowing out of Article 21 as such its upholding, respect and dignity is most primordial essence and edifice of a democratically elected set-up.
