the goan I network
MARGAO
Even as the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Goa, has reminded Margao Municipal Council Chief Officer that April 23 public holiday was a paid holiday, daily wage garbage workers of the Margao municipality have knocked the doors of the municipality to compensate them for the paid holiday and public holidays declared on Good Friday and following the demise of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Urban Development Minister Francis D’Souza.
These daily wage workers have demanded due compensation in the form of compensatory off or extra payment for working on the four days. They warned that they would prefer to enjoy the paid public holidays like the rest of the municipal staff in the event they are not eligible for benefits for working on declared public holidays.
The office of the Chief Electoral Officer had clarified on the paid holidays after former MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho drew attention of the poll panel how daily wage garbage workers were denied the benefits of the paid holiday by the Margao civic body. “I was compelled to take the issue before the Chief Electoral Officer, who was kind enough to address the injustice done to the workers by referring to the Chief Officer an order dated 12th April 2019, issued by the Jt Secretary (GA), confirming that the 23rd of April was a paid holiday,” Coutinho said.
He added, “It is important to note that it is the daily wage workers that provide the all-important service of garbage collection and overall cleaning of the city, while all other fixed workers have managed to get themselves posted in cleaner positions in the municipal building or under market inspectors.”
He pointed out that the daily wage workers were supposed to be compensated for working on the four days following the death of Manohar Parrikar and Francis D’Souza, besides Good Friday and the voting day on April 23. “These daily wage workers engaged for garbage collection were forced to work even on paid holidays while the fixed workers enjoyed the public holidays. These daily wage workers often have been denied any benefits for working on the public holidays.”
