VASCO
The Goa State Industries Association (GSIA) on Friday disapproved of Labour Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate’s statement that the labour and employment department will be labour-friendly and not management-friendly.
"The government should adopt a balanced approach and always try to facilitate to arrive at amicable understanding between the labour and the management,” stated GSIA president Damodar Kochkar in a press release.
“Rates of minimum wages used to be revised once 3/5 years when there was no VDA element in the minimum wage rates. We in Goa agreed to have VDA linked to cost of living first time during the last revision of minimum rates of wages in 2016," said Kochkar.
"There is a Supreme Court guidelines of five years interval for revision wherever VDA is paid. It is wrong to say that no revision in minimum rates wages have been made for the past six years as VDA has taken care of the increase in the cost of living. From zero VDA in 2016, it is now Rs 85 per day payable from April 1, 2022. This amounts to about a 28% increase in the rate of minimum wages in the last five years.”
Kochkar said the government is free to reconstitute the boards and felt that proper representation should be given to employer associations like GCCI and GSIA.
He also questioned Monserrate’s announcement that all private industries will be made to advertise their vacancies on par with government departments.
“As per provisions of labour laws as applicable at present, employers are obligated only to notify vacancies to the local employment exchange. Beyond this obligation, the government cannot put any other unreasonable restrictions by executive order," said Kochkar.
"It is not correct on the part of the new labour minister to make an announcement publicly that all private industries will be made to advertise their vacancies on par with government departments. We strongly oppose this move," said Kochkar.
