Daily wagers march to CM’s residence in Jammu, demand regularisation and pending wages

Jammu, Nov 6: The streets of Jammu witnessed a major protest on Thursday as hundreds of daily wagers, casual labourers, and ASHA workers under the banner of the All Daily Wagers Jammu Kashmir Sangarsh Samiti marched toward Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence, demanding regularisation, implementation of minimum wages, and release of pending payments. The march, which began peacefully, was intercepted by a heavy contingent of police at Shaheedi Chowk, leading to the detention of the Samiti’s chairman, Sunny Kant Chib.

The protesting workers, hailing from multiple government departments, carried placards and shouted slogans against the government, accusing it of ignoring their long-standing grievances. Many of them, including women workers, had travelled from different districts of Jammu and Kashmir to join the rally. The demonstrators claimed that despite years of service, they continued to work without job security, fair wages, or timely payments.

As the police prevented them from moving toward the Chief Minister’s residence on Residency Road, several women workers sat on the road in protest, launching an impromptu dharna and demanding that their voices be heard. “We only want justice and dignity for our work,” said one of the protesting ASHA workers. “Our children go hungry because our wages are delayed for months. We serve people selflessly, but our own lives are full of hardship,” she added.

Before his detention, Sunny Kant Chib told reporters that the protest was a desperate attempt to draw the government’s attention to the plight of thousands of workers who have been left in uncertainty for years. “We have been demanding regularisation of daily wagers, release of wages for casual workers, and implementation of the minimum wage policy. The government keeps making promises but has failed to deliver. This is not a political movement; it is a struggle for survival,” he said.

Chib alleged that many workers had not received their salaries for over a year and that repeated memorandums and appeals to the authorities had gone unanswered. He stated that hundreds of families across Jammu and Kashmir depend on these wages for sustenance and that the delay was pushing many into debt and distress. “We wanted to meet the Chief Minister and present our grievances directly, but instead of listening to us, the administration has chosen to detain our representatives,” Chib said moments before being taken away by the police.

The protest created temporary traffic disruptions in the central areas of Jammu, with commuters diverted through alternative routes as police worked to contain the demonstration. Despite the tense atmosphere, the protest remained largely peaceful. Senior police officials on the scene said the workers were stopped to prevent law and order issues near high-security zones.

Members of the Sangarsh Samiti said they will continue their agitation until the government takes concrete steps to meet their demands. “We are not asking for charity, only what is rightfully ours,” one worker said. “We serve in every department, from public health to education and rural development  but we are treated as temporary labour, with no job security or social benefits.”