Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Contract Workers Union members on April 3, 2021 resolved to gherao Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Cabinet Ministers and wave black flags to protest the Punjab’s government’s “false promises” of door-to-door jobs and regularisation of contract workers.
Union State President Varinder Singh Momi said ministers will be surrounded and questioned with regard to the delay in regularising earlier contract employees and the reason for retrenchments. To display their frustration to frustration to political leaders, workers that availed low salaries for over 14 years in rural areas, put up ‘No Entry’ warning boards outside their homes on Saturday.
State General Secretary Mr. Kuldeep Singh Budhewal said that the government is shunning its responsibility towards about 3,500 contract employees serving in various posts in supply schemes and offices. Instead, policies are introduced to privatise rural water bodies and all departments.
According to Press Secretary Satnam Singh Falianwala such policies abolish the public institution water supply department, under which 177 BRCs have been set up.
“Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Cabinet Minister Razia Sultana have lied and lied. Before winning elections, jobs were promised to the unemployed but more than four years have passed and the state government has not confirmed contract workers of any department,” said Falianwala.
The union leaders accused the Punjab government of betraying people by taking anti-farmer, anti-labour and anti-employee decisions under the guise of Covid-19. They warned that protests would continue until their demands were met and that the state government and water supply management would be directly responsible for any loss during this period.
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