Police baton charge agitating employees in Srinagar

Srinagar, Aug.12 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Police resorted to baton charging employees for staging a protest to demand a pay hike as per recommendation of the Sixth Pay Commission on Wednesday.

Hundreds of employees converged in the city center in defiance of prohibitory orders and started raising slogans against the State Government.

"We didn't want to fight with the government, our agenda was very peaceful and we are asking for something that government had agreed for. But now government is launching a fight with us," said Abdul Qayoom Wani, President of the Employees Joint Action Committee.

Police used water canons and baton on the demonstrators for flouting Section 144.

Several agitators were arrested near Srinagar's Lal Chowk area.

Earlier, over 450,000 employees had observed a two-day pen down strike to press for their demands.

The demands include enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60, regularisation of contractual, ad-hoc and casual workers as per the merit, amendment in the Wage Act including increase in wages of the daily wagers and casual laborers from current RS 2,100 monthly to RS 5,000. By Parvez Butt (ANI)