Mahilpur - A large number of contract employees gathered in Chabbewal city and villages in a protest march organized by the ‘Theka Mulajam Sangharsh Morcha Punjab’ platform demanding regularization of outsourced and enlisted employees who have been serving in various government departments for years in their respective parent departments.
During this protest, contract employees at various intersections exposed the anti-people actions of the current government and gave a message to the people that they should support the ongoing struggle by leaving aside the votes.
Issuing a press statement in this regard, the state leaders of the Contract Workers' Struggle Morcha Punjab, Balihar Singh Kataria, Simranjit Singh Nilon, Jasvir Singh Jindwari, Okar Singh, Inderpreet Singh Tarlochan Singh Jagdeep Singh said that today farmers, laborers, small shopkeepers, and the employed class are suffering under the brunt of inflation and unemployment, but the current Punjab government, which claimed to present an alternative to the previous governments, has failed to present an alternative. Rather than fulfilling the promises made to the hardworking people, even more than the previous governments, the game of lies and deceit has been continued with the people of the state to fulfill the interests of corporate houses for looting and making profits, and policies are being implemented to hand over government institutions built for public service to corporators for blind loot. 
For the last two and a half years, the Chief Minister has been repeatedly requesting the Punjab government to hold a meeting with the contract employees with the aim of resolving the ‘demands and issues’ through mutual dialogue. Although the Chief Minister of Punjab has fixed a time for the meeting in writing every time, the Chief Minister has refused to hold the meeting every time by coming on the spot and giving the excuse of his urgent engagement. He said that although the Chief Minister had assured to resolve the demands by holding a meeting with the front during the Jalandhar by-election, the irony is that for a long time now the Chief Minister has been running away from holding a meeting with the Punjab front to resolve the demands. 
He said that while on the one hand, the Chief Minister of Punjab is neglecting the demands of the contract employees, on the other hand, decisions are being taken against the outsourced and enlisted employees working in various government departments. The present government is adamant on continuing the policy of privatization/panchayatization of government departments. It refuses to regularize contract employees in the permanent work sector. It is not implementing the minimum wage law as per the recommendations of the 15th Labour Conference. It is not implementing the equal pay for equal work law. It is not repealing the anti-worker amendments made in the labour laws and instead of resolving the demands, it has closed the doors of negotiations.
The leaders of the front said that earlier the policy of permanent employment was in force, but like the previous governments, this current government has also continued the policy of contract employment instead of permanent employment and no solution has been found to provide permanent employment to the outsourced and enlisted workers who have been providing their services in the permanent work sector for years. Instead of resolving the 'demands and issues' through mutual talks, the Chief Minister has refused to hold talks even after repeatedly giving time for meetings.