J and K SRTC employees stir enters 30th day

Jammu, Sep 18 (UNI) The ongoing agitation of Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) employees' today entered the 30th day against non-implementation of agreement between the government and the workers.

A massive protest rally was taken out by the demonstrators amid slogans demanding immediate release of pending salaries.

Deprived of salaries for the last five months, the workers alleged that the government has breached its agreement, which was signed between the leaders of the Workers Union on March 24, 2008 and the Government representatives including MD of the Corporation and the Transport Commissioner.

''It was agreed that regular salaries shall be paid to the employees while pending 42 slabs of COLA shall also be released besides according hike in the wages of consolidated, contractual workers including drivers,'' one of the protestors told UNI.

Meanwhile earlier on September 13, hundreds of children also supported the workers of the Corporation demanding salaries for them.

''The corporation however, is running in losses of crores as the entire SRTC fleet has almost come to a grinding halt and the employees have suspended the operation within the state and also on the inter-state routes,'' an official told UNI adding, ''an estimated amount of Rs 30 lakh is the per day loss being suffered by the Corporation.'' The agitating workers further said the strike would continue unless the government would not pay heed to their long pending demands and release their salaries.

UNI VBH SY GC1946