Drishti to opt for recruitment if lifeguards don’t join duty

Drishti Lifesaving Pvt Ltd on Thursday disclosed its intentions to recruit new employees if the lifeguards who are on strike since December 29 refuse to return to work soon. rnAddressing the media in Panaji, CEO of Drishti Manoj Agiwal said, “If the boys do not consider returning to work soon, we will be forced to look for a new set of employees.” rnIt was informed that no incidents of drowning have been reported will the tenth day of the strike on Thursday and 14 rescues and a few minor injuries have been reported since December 29.

the goan I network | JANUARY 08, 2016, 05:45 AM IST

PANAJI

“125 lifeguards were on duty on the first day of the strike and on Wednesday the number swelled to 144. There are 270 lifeguards on duty today as we have sourced services of 30 lifeguards from our sister concern in Mumbai. Help has also poured in from volunteers, water sports operators to ensure that the coastline is safe,” Agiwal stated.   
Drishti Director Ankit Somani said that almost 200 lifeguards are not reporting to work due to the fear of being targeted and retaliation from their colleagues who are on strike. “Safety of the tourists continues to be our sole concern even now,” he said.   
Agiwal pointed out that it takes a lot of time and efforts to train a lifeguard. “Three to six months training programme ensures their proficiency and fitness of the lifeguards,” he said.   
Drishti said that it has received support of the government. “The government has invoked ESMA and 360 lifeguards were arrested a day or two after the strike began,” Agiwal said.   
Drishti blamed the leaders of All India Trade Union Congress for giving false promises and misleading the lifeguards. “The issues benefit only the Union as their subscription increases. This is opportunistic behaviour and is misrepresentation of the lifeguards and their issues, coercing them to retaliate,” Somani observed and questioned the Union’s timing of the strike.   
Drishti also maintained that the issues being raised by the lifeguards have already been referred to the Industrial Tribunal by the government on September 3, 2015.   
Responding to the issue of reinstating 17 lifeguards, Agiwal said, “They are forcing us to employ 17 lifeguards as these 17 were not employed by us in the first place. They were found to have a history of drinking while on duty. We have not wrongfully terminated anyone.”   
Drishti also demanded to know if the 17 lifeguards have any appointment letter and ID cards of Drishti Lifesaving Pvt Ltd to prove otherwise.   
Referring to the matter of hiking the lifeguards’ monthly salary, Agiwal said, “The minimum salary was advertised clearly and they volunteered to be employed.”  


Parulekar assures to reinstate 17 retrenched lifeguards

PANAJI: A delegation of Drishti Lifeguards’ Union and All India Trade Union Congress on Thursday met Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, who assured them that the 17 victimised lifeguards will be taken onto the roll of the department by February 15.   
Members of Drishti Lifesaving Pvt Ltd management were also present for the meeting.   
Tourism Minister Parulekar informed the Union members that Chief Minister has requested them to call off the strike on the assurance that their pending issues would be resolved after the conclusion of the Assembly session on January 20.  Reacting to this, AITUC leader Suhaas Naik stated,”We respect the Chief Minister and his sentiment. But at the same time, this issue has gone to such an extent that mere assurance will 
not help.”  
AITUC maintained that unless a structured written document is offered, it will be difficult to call off the strike. Parulekar also informed the delegation that he is on board with the hike in lifeguards’ monthly salary but said that he will have to consult the Finance Dept over the issue.   
Referring to the issue of service conditions of the lifeguards, the Union’s delegation suggested setting up of a committee chaired by the Tourism Minister comprising representatives from the Union, government and an expert.   This would allow all stakeholders to offer their inputs and a report can be submitted in a time bound manner, it was held.   
The lifeguards also requested the government to consider including them under Class IV government employees payscale pending regularisation.  
Meanwhile, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, NCP president Jose Philip D’Souza and Valpoi MLA Vishwajit Rane met the lifeguards at Paryatan Bhavan in Panaji.  Rane informed that he intends to raise the issue of abolishing contract labour such as Drishti lifeguards and others in government dept so as to facilitate their regularisation.
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