SHILLONG: Members of the Joint Action Committee Muster Roll Union (JACMRU), under the All Meghalaya Muster Roll Progressive Workers Union, staged a protest outside the office of the Chief Engineer (CE) of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department at Lachaumiere, Shillong.
Carrying placards highlighting their plight, the protesters condemned the withholding of salaries as a violation of workers’ rights and raised concerns about feeding their families without their rightful earnings.
The workers are demanding the immediate release of unpaid wages for Muster Roll employees under the PHE department, with dues pending for three consecutive months—April, May, and June—despite existing directives mandating salary disbursement by the 10th of every month.
Although the workers had intended to submit a memorandum directly to the Chief Engineer, his absence due to unavoidable circumstances led them to submit the document to his office.
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Union spokesperson Khroo L. Pariat stated that funds are reportedly available, yet the Chief Engineer has failed to release them.
He noted that Muster Roll workers in other government departments have already received their pay, while only those in the PHE department remain unpaid.
Pariat further emphasized the severe financial distress this has caused, especially during the recent Behdeiñkhlam festival in Jowai, leaving families struggling to meet medical and daily expenses.
Setting a strict deadline, the union demanded that the Chief Engineer release the full three-month salary backlog on or before July 31.
Failing this, the workers warned they would begin an agitation from August 3 by ceasing all work duties, while remaining present at their respective work locations.
In the meantime, Pariat urged all Muster Roll staff to continue their duties diligently. He underscored that, regardless of the number of affected employees, the core issue remains the unjust withholding of wages for three consecutive months.
(4FrontMedia news)
