PANAJI
With no positive word from the government on the demand for implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission, the Goa Government Employees Association (GGEA) along with the support of 18 other associations has decided to carry out its mega protest on December 7.
In a major meeting of heads of trade unions and the association, a resolution was taken to work together to fight for implementation of the seventh pay commission, a move that will affect employees in other areas including corporations, government-aided schools and government autonomous bodies.
Speaking on the occasion, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) General Secretary Christopher Fonseca said the implementation should be done before the election code of conduct comes into force. “Government employees should be cautious and fight together to achieve their objective before elections are declared in Goa and not get carried away by the confusing statements made by the Chief Minister. There are various proposals before the group of unions to organise protests and work out common election strategies in addition to organising the morcha in Panaji,” he said.
President of GGEA John Nazareth informed that the association has already served a strike notice of 21 days to the State Government on November 7, 2016, after exhausting all available options. “The members of the Central Committee of GGEA are visiting all the offices in all the talukas in Goa to garner support so as to bring a morcha of about 40,000 employees to Panaji on December 7, 2016, at 10 am and march to the Secretariat and remain there till the order of the Seventh Pay is issued and a copy of the same is provided to the heads of all the unions and associations,” he informed.
Other unions that have shown their support include AITUC, Goa Municipal Employees Association, KTC Drivers and Allied Employees Union, Trained Nurses Association of India, Diocesan Society of Education Employees Association, Goa Handicraft Rural Small Scale Industries Employees Association, Electricity Department Jr Engineers’ Association and PWD Jr Engineers’ Association.
