Srinagar, September 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Casual labourers and daily-wage workers from various Jammu and Kashmir government departments staged a protest in Srinagar on Tuesday, demanding higher wages and regularisation of their services.
The demonstration was organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Casual/Daily Wagers Forum and led by its president, Sajad Ahmed Parray. The workers gathered as the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was discussing issues concerning temporary and daily-wage employees.
The protesters said their demands for regularisation and improved wages had remained unresolved for a long time and urged the Union Territory administration to take concrete measures to address their concerns.
The demonstration comes against the backdrop of the government’s stated efforts to formulate a uniform framework for regularising temporary workers, including daily-rated workers, casual and seasonal labourers, as well as other contractual and need-based employees.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has informed the Assembly that a committee constituted in March 2025 is examining the humanitarian, legal and financial aspects of regularising these categories of workers. The government has also said consultations with the departments concerned are necessary before a final policy decision is taken.
The protesting workers called for the process to be expedited and sought immediate relief on wages and regularisation.
The Union Territory administration has assured phased regularisation of all daily wagers in Jammu and Kashmir. Available statistics indicate that more than 50,000 daily-wage workers are engaged across various government departments.
The workers play a significant role in the functioning of several departments, with their services particularly important in areas including the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Flood and Irrigation Department and Power Development Department (PDD).
The protest remained focused on the workers’ long-pending employment-related demands for improved wages and a regularised service structure.
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