VASCO
Curtorim MLA Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco on Wednesday urged the 350 employees of Western India Shipyard Ltd (WISL) to march to the Secretariat at Porvorim on the first day of the Assembly session, to compel the government to consider their demands.
Lourenco was speaking at the meeting organised by Shiv Sena and the employees union of WISL at Headland Sada.
“We can only support you and raise your issue in the Assembly. March to the Secretariat on the first day of the Assembly session and I assure you that along with Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, we will raise your issue,” he told the employees.
“We will also move a resolution in the Assembly, asking the government to take over the company, if the management cannot settle the issue of the workers,” added Lourenco.
Commenting on the letter written by Sweta Ventagri, daughter of one of the employees, about the difficulties faced by her family due to non-payment of salary for the last 10 months, Lourenco said: “As the child did not have faith in Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and the government, she was forced to write to the Prime Minister to seek justice.”
“I feel sad that the government is forcing the people to take to the streets to seek justice. What is worrisome is that the government has failed to live up to its promises that were made at the time of the election and this has forced the common man to come on road to get justice,” he added.
Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai asked the employees to remain united and to fight for their right.
“I attended this meeting as 350-odd Goan families are facing injustice and the government has failed to come to their aid. This government is interested only in itself and not for the betterment of its people,” alleged Sardesai.
“If the government cannot call the company owner and settle the issue, then the government should take over the company and run it under the cooperative sector,” added Sardesai.
NCP President Jose Philip D’Souza, Congress leader Sankalp Amonkar, Aam Admi Party coordinator Liby Mendonca, councillor Sarika Palkar and Murari Bandekar also spoke on the occasion and extended their support and co-operation to the agitating employees of WISL.
