Demanding redressal to their issues and the release of 32 workers from District Jail Anantnag, labourers of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CA&PD) Thursday staged a protest in Srinagar against what they termed as the callous attitude of the government and CAPD Ministry.Scores of Food and Allied workers carrying placards and banners assembled here in Press Enclave and warned to halt the operations in all the food stores across the State in case their demands are not fulfilled.The protesters were demanding enhancement in loading and unloading of bag rates as per price index, grant of minimum guarantee wage at par on FCI pattern and release of 32 labouerers who according to them were arrested by police from Letapora during a protest rally and lodged in District Jail Anantnag.
Vice President Jammu Kashmir Food Allied Workers Union, Ghulam Muhammad Mir told CNS that the loading and unloading charges have not been increased since 2012 and petty rates are being paid to the workers.The workers are desperate on account of delayed payment of monthly wages, which adversely affect the benefits of their Provident Fund, ESI, LIC, etc”, he added.He said that they will continue their protest till their demands are not redressed and warned to halt the operations in all the food stores across the State.He said the daily wage of CAPD workers is Rs 150 while their counterparts in Food Corporation of India get Rs 450 per day. “The work is same for both categories of labourers. The discrimination being meted out to us is unjustifiable and unreasonable,” he said and added that despite giving multiple representations to the Minister from Food, nothing changed on ground.Efforts to contact Food Minister Chowdary Zulifkar Ali could not materialize as neither he was present in his office nor his cell number was in service. (CNS)