SRINAGAR: Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid on Thursday urged the Union Government in Parliament to frame a national policy for the regularisation of daily wagers, contractual and consolidated employees, warning that economic growth built on their suffering would amount to “grave injustice”.
Speaking during a debate in the House, Rashid appealed to the Centre not to “strangle the livelihoods” of workers engaged in factories, workshops, semi-government bodies and government departments across the country. He said thousands of such employees in Jammu and Kashmir have remained unregularised for decades despite having been engaged in their youth and now nearing retirement age.
“The House would be shocked to know that many who were engaged decades ago are now over fifty, their children are in their twenties, yet they continue without regular status,” he said.
The MP argued that every structure of development rests on the labour of workers. “Whether the palace belongs to you or the wealth to someone else, it is built on the sweat and blood of workers. If we fail to respect their labour and sacrifice, it will be a great injustice,” he said.
Rashid cited his own experience of having worked in the public sector in 2008, stating that dues in his area remain unpaid even years after he left the job. Referring to a saying of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that wages should be paid before the sweat dries, he questioned delays in payment and restrictions on the right of employees to strike.
He called upon the government to introduce, if not immediately then in the near future, a comprehensive national policy to regularise daily wagers and contractual staff to ensure dignified livelihoods for their families.
The Baramulla MP also raised concerns over the condition of civilian porters working along border areas, from Karnah to other parts of the country, who assist the Army and the Border Security Force. He alleged that porters who lost their lives on duty in Baramulla received only nominal compensation and sought statutory protection of their rights.
Highlighting issues in the unorganised sector, Rashid questioned the adequacy of the minimum wage of Rs 350 per day and pointed to sanitation workers, including those serving within Parliament premises, as examples of essential staff denied dignified wages.
He further criticised the functioning of labour courts and labour administration, alleging delays in justice for workers who suffer serious injuries or disabilities at workplaces.
Rashid concluded by cautioning that aspirations of rapid economic growth would hold little meaning if achieved at the cost of vulnerable workers, reiterating his appeal to the government to safeguard their rights and livelihoods.
