Punjab’s Contract Employees Sangharsh Morcha called upon workers across the state to burn effigies of the Punjab government on March 31, 2021 and wave black flags to denounce Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s insensitivity towards contract employees.
Union members alleged that Singh and his Sub-Committee Cabinet Ministers “yet again ran away from meeting” with workers who had mobilised at the state-level earlier in March. On March 12, agitators demanded the regularisation of contract employees in all government departments and received a written assurance from authorities for a meeting with Singh at his Chandigarh residence on March 30.
However, upon arrival Morcha leaders were informed that the Chief Minister was not present and would continue the meeting with leaders between April 6 to April 10. Accordingly, state leaders Resham Singh Gill, Varinder Singh Momi, Balihar Singh, Jagroop Singh, Gurwinder Singh Pannu, Varinder Singh Bathinda, Sher Singh Khanna, Sevak Singh Dandiwal, Raisahib Singh Sidhu, Sulakhan Singh, and Mahinder Singh told media persons that the ‘Captain-government’ had failed to realise election promises to contract employees regarding regularisation and door-to-door employment.
“About 60,000 posts in all government departments have been abolished in the name of restructuring and the struggle of contract employees of all departments is being ignored which has eroded the confidence of contract employees in the government. The Captain Government is employing an evasion policy like the SAD-BJP government,” said Momi.
Leaders said that they would assert their demands for regularisation, abolishment of privatisation and reorganisation of government departments, abolish forced retrenchment of contract employees and the withdrawal of the farm and labour laws.
Related:
Contract employees flood Patiala streets, demand regularisation of workers
Punjab workers to agitate against labour codes on March 12
Punjab’s Workers Union promises to look after fields until farmers return
Labour Codes Issues: Spelling out the ABCs
Haryana: Manohar Lal Khattar-led govt survives no-confidence motion