the goan I network
PANAJI
The State government invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) banning strikes in the passenger transport sector in a bid to tackle the 2-day nationwide strike called by transport associations, general trade unions, bank employee unions for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Here in Goa, the Goa Convention of Workers (GCW), an umbrella organization of trade unions in the State, taxi and bus owners associations, the Goa chapter of the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), Goa Government Employees Association among others have announced they will join the strike, throwing a spectre of uncertainty over public transport, banking and other services. Various unions have called for a public meeting on Tuesday where they are expected to highlight the “anti-worker” and “anti-trade union” policies of Centre. On Wednesday, the unions will observe a bandh.
Canacona contract PWD workers on strike
CANACONA: Upset over their unpaid daily wages for as long as four months, about 80 contract workers of PWD went on an indefinite strike in Canacona.
The PWD contract workers have complained they been not paid their daily wages since the last four months and their pleas with the department have not yielded any results.
This is the second time within a year that the PWD workers have gone on a strike to get their wages released, sources said.
When contacted, Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes regretted the frequent hardships caused to these workers.
“I cannot understand the reason for this delay in releasing wages. I’m not sure if the officers concerned have failed to process the bills or if the contractor hasn’t presented the bills to the department,” said Fernandes.
“The PWD contractor workers are dependant on their wages and unpaid wages for 3-4 months at a stretch is badly affecting their families,” said Fernandes.
Insisting that their wages should be paid without further delay, the Canacona MLA said this was the second such incident to have taken place in Canacona. “Now, I will meet the PWD Principal Chief Executive Engineer on Tuesday to and I expect all concerned officers pertaining to Canacona to attend the meeting in Panaji.”
