the goan I network
VASCO
About 150 employees of Goa Minerals Private Limited (GMPL) based in Vagus and Kothambi Pale area protested outside the company’s head office in Vasco, after they received letters of retrenchment from the management.
Employees said the management had written that they do not see the possibility of commencement of mining operations and hence had to retrench the employees after paying one month’s notice pay and other benefits like retrenchment compensation, ex-gratia, leave encashment, bonus, proportionate wages, unclaimed LTA and medical allowance, etc.
However, employees insisted that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had recently announced that no mining sector workers should be retrenched till December as there was a possibility that mining activities could resume.
They claimed that this retrenchment order was going against the CM’s announcement and showed a lack of respect and faith in the chief minister.
“We have been working for last 16 years at the Vagus loading plant but suddenly we received the notice of retrenchment and our family and livelihoods are at stake,” said an employee Dilip Naik.
“We had a meeting with the chief minister and our MD, where the chief minister had asked the company not to retrench us till December. The CM had also announced on July 8 that no mining employees be removed from the job but we got our retrenchment letter on July 12.”
“We appeal to the CM to help us out at this critical stage and resolve our issues. Some employees have been admitted to hospital with this sudden announcement,”
said Naik.
Another employee, Bhingu Gauns, said the management should not have taken this step, especially when discussions were in progress.
“This issue have been resolved amicably because the government is also going on in full swing to give them mining leases and recommence mining operations in the State.”
“It’s not that we are not working and we have loaded barges in February and operated the plant in March. Some are working on contracts and some have recently got fixed in the company and now, they are retrenched. The CM must intervene and resolve our issues,” Gauns added.
