Two Pharma companies ” Indoco Remedies Limited and Encube Ethicals ” having facilities at the Verna Industrial Estate decided to cancel job interviews which were scheduled out of the State after the Labour Department intervened and sought to know whether these vacancies were listed with the State Employment Exchange.
Indoco Remedies, in a letter addressed to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, stated that they are cancelling the walk-interviews planned at Boisar Mumbai "due to some unavoidable circumstances and “the personal intervention of the CM”. Opposition parties have cried foul over these pharma companies not preferring locals.
Against the backdrop of Goa grappling with unemployment for the past many years, a mere cancellation of interviews will not help resolve the larger issue. The registration of vacancies with the employment exchange does not guarantee jobs to locals since there is no provision in the law for local quotas. Companies can register and still employ out-of-state labour.
The need of the hour is to examine reasons behind companies scouting non-local labour. The factors may be multiple ” from locals not fitting into the profile in terms of skill requirements, Goans not finding themselves comfortable with the work ecosystem of pharma companies or the disparity in the cost of human resources.
The pharmaceutical sector is one of the major manufacturing hubs in Goa employing a sizeable workforce of over 20,000. The 54-odd units account for 12-14 per cent of the country’s pharma production of which around 70 per cent is exported and 30 per cent goes in the domestic market. Records show that sales figures range between Rs 12,000 crore and Rs 15,000 crore on exports alone. Pharma companies contribute significantly to Goa's economy and some have even partnered with the State government in skill development programmes besides engaging in CSR activities. They can't be written off.
The government has to reconcile with the fact that there is a vacuum which the State is unable to fill. The many job fairs that have been conducted, including the few conducted with great pomp at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, Bambolim have failed to get the expected results primarily because the resources could not match industry requirements. The upskilling mantra is still to catch up with the expectations of these industries.
Another question is whether Goans are willing to embrace the rigours of pharmaceutical jobs. The work regimen here is in contrast to the normal Goan lifestyle. Let us not forget, that some pharma companies have approvals from foreign regulatory bodies like USFDA and UKMHRA which would mean adhering to stricter work environments and even extended hours.
Moreover, before going further, we need to get our systems right. The question is whether the department is at least in the know of how many Goans are employed in this pharma sector, and how many private sector units are bypassing the system and hiring resources at their discretion. While there is a hue and cry over Goans being sidelined for private sector jobs, there is no system to measure the availability of jobs on a real-time basis.
Unemployment has been an issue that has been consistent across India. Goa has been witnessing a roller-coaster pattern with government jobs being announced, frozen, cancelled and re-advertised. An average Goan finds himself not content with the payouts and perks in the private sector given the standard of living and high inflation.
It’s time to look inwardly instead of making private sector companies easy targets.
