KASHMIRI PUBLIC WORKERS STRIKE!

Government offices were severely disrupted on 18 March, when public sector workers affected by the 2005 earthquake, in the Poonch division of POK (Pakistani Occupied Kashmir), went on an indefinite strike.
At the district HQ, Rawalakot, over two thousand workers held a protest demonstration.
Workers from health, education, PWD (Public Works’ Department - road workers), clerical, judiciary, Grade 1-1V accounts department, and municipal and other departments gathered at the district courts premises. A large contingent of PWD workers, with placards, shouted slogans against the government.
The main protest demonstration was led by the PWD workers’ banner. Their demands included overdue wages that have not been paid for the last 19 months. Banners displayed other demands, including: Pay overdue salaries to workers; Scrap the anti-workers, special Power Act; Release of HBA (House Building Advances) at district level; Pay compensation instalments to earthquake affected workers; Regularize contract workers and Increase salaries linked with inflation
The protest demonstration was led by leaders of the Poonch Division Employees Action Committee (EAC), including the Secretary General, Sardar Imtiaz Khan. The demonstrators marched through the main town centre shouting slogans against price-hikes and against the ruling class and state bureaucracy
Hundreds of public sector workers, particularly the JKSRTC (Jammu Kashmir State Road Transport Co-operation), have been on strike action for their unpaid salaries and against the neo-liberal policies of the INC-PDP (Indian National Congress and Peoples Democratic Party) led coalition government in IOK (Indian Occupied Kashmir).
Appeal for solidarity with earthquake affected workers
J Khan, Trade Union Rights Campaign – Kashmir (TURC-K), Kotli, Kashmir
The Trade Union Rights Campaign – Kashmir (TURC-K) has been in the forefront of helping to organise solidarity for thousands of earthquake-affected public sector workers in Pakistani Occupied Kashmir (POK).
On 18 March, 2008, workers began an indefinite strike in Rawalakot (POK). The main protest demonstration was led by a banner demanding that immediate payment of overdue salaries of workers who have not been paid for the last 19 months.
The Employees’ Action Committee, through the Union Rights Campaign – Kashmir (TURC-K), made an appeal to trade unionists and young people for messages of solidarity to be sent to the striking workers, and protests to be sent to the authorities concerned. TURC-K is organising solidarity action in Kashmir.
Please include in the letters of protest the following demands made by the Employees Action Committee:
Pay overdue salaries to workers
Pay compensation instalments to earthquake-affected workers
Release the HBA (House Building Advances) at district level
Regularize contract workers
Increase salaries linked with inflation
Set up Labour laws and Labour courts in Kashmir
All workers in the state should be given the right to form trade unions
All anti-labour laws scrapped, including the Special Power Act
Please send letters of protest to
Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan. Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir
primeminister@ajk.gov.pk
President Musharraf of the Federal government of Pakistan
via the website
Please send all solidarity messages to:
Employees Action Committee, c/o TURC-K
turc_kashmir@yahoo.co.uk