Srinagar: Terming the just-issued SRO-520 by Jammu and Kashmir Government as a “ cruel joke” with the daily wagers and unconfirmed employees, President of Jammu and Kashmir wildlife employees and workers union Tariq Ahmad Sofi on Wednesday said the order was “an act to deceive” the innocent employees in the name of regularization. “The SRO-520 is a cruel joke with the daily wagers and unconfirmed employees. We consider it as an attempt to deceive the employees in the name of regularization which is not acceptable to the us”, Sofi said addressing employees of the department who went on a token one day strike outside and assembled at press enclave here. He said the union leaders have been inviting the attention of the government towards the genuine demands of the employees time and again and the government used to assure of doing the needful. “But we have lost patience, hence a token strike was observed today, which should serve as an eye-opener to the government”, Sofi said amid chants of “do justice” and “fulfill our demands” from the employees. He said employees working on consolidated basis, casuals basis and need-based should be given preference in regularization of their services like the government did in 1994. The other demands of the employees included convening of meeting of departmental promotion committee (DPC) for lower rank officials which has not taken place for the past 17 years, change of designation of helpers which has already been implemented in other departements, removal of pay anomlies, reorganization of the department which has been pending since 2008, end to the injustice being meted to the senior officers who are being brought from different wings of the department and made sub-ordinates and promotion of the trained and experienced employees. Sofi thanked all the employees who had come from far flung areas of the valley to take part in the day long strike in the shivering cold. He also appealed to fellow trade union leaders to unite to get the SRO-520 corrected and play a key role in getting justice for the employees. (Kashmir Wire)