For a long time the Goa Seamen Association of India (GSAI) has been swimming against the tide, attempting to get a better pension and other rights for the State’s seamen. So far, they were unsuccessful but with the Bhartiya Navik Sena Union (BNSU), which is a Mumbai based union of seamen joining hands with them on a few issues, there may be light at the end of this tunnel. GSAI has also been fighting for a holiday home in Betul, which should be built on communidade land provided by the local MLA.
Goa, especially down in Salcette, has a large number of its men and women who ply their trade on different kinds of ships across the world. For a long while, Goa’s high per capita income could have been attributed to the combination of Gulfies and tarvottis, who sent their hard earned money back home. Now the seamen are fighting for better ex-gratia payment for one, which is rightly deserved. The State cannot ignore the contribution of these brave individuals who want just a decent amount of money to live out their retired lives, hopefully taking in a holiday or two at Betul.
Joining hands with the BNSU will certainly give their fight a boost.
