Tuensang District PWD (R&B) workers staging a protest at the PWD office premises in Tuensang town on February 1. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Tuensang/Zunheboto| February 1
Field workers employed with the Nagaland Public Works Department (PWD) on Tuesday launched a state-wide agitation over salary payments that have been pending for almost two years.
The agitation was held demanding the release of salaries for employees in the B, C and D categories which have been pending for the last 22 months, according to protesters who gathered at the PWD office premises in Tuensang town.
The employees who include work-charge employees from the PWD’s roads and bridges, housing and national highways divisions sealed the offices and asserted that it would remain sealed till their dues are cleared.
According to K Lolen, President of the Tuensang District PWD (R&B) worker’s association, PWD field workers across Nagaland are staging similar agitations in their respective districts. “Today, workers from R&B, Housing and National Highway have gathered here. Our state government has failed to pay our salaries timely and we have been suffering a lot,” he said, adding that the protest would continue if there is no positive response from the government.
“Although, we are just work-charge labourers but we are Naga people and we are also children of Nagaland state. We request the state government to sympathize with us and provide us with timely help for the welfare of all,” he appealed.
Meanwhile in Zunheboto district, the employees locked the office of the Executive Engineer (R&B), Zunheboto, stating that it would be reopened only when their salaries are paid.
Like their counterparts in the other districts, the employees in Zunheboto have also not been paid their salaries for the past 22 months. This has become very difficult for the workers to manage and look after their families and fulfil their daily needs, members of the PWD Workers Zunheboto Unit stated.
They also underscored that the protest was necessitated because of the government’s inaction even though several representations were submitted even in the past. “Several representations and letters have been submitted to the department and government but there has been no positive response from the government,” as per the workers.
The workers also said that if the government does not fulfil their demands, the protest would get stronger and “all the roads coming under the PWD (R&B) department will be fully blocked and no vehicle will be allowed to ply.” They further reminded the government to look into the matter seriously and solve their issues.
The agitating employees were also reportedly displeased with other department officials stating that “no officers were even bothered to come and talk to them and support them in their fight to get their salaries paid,” while the was going on outside in the cold freezing weather.
