May Day rally held in Ponda
THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Thousand of workers from both the private and public sectors joined in celebrating International Working Class Day in Ponda with a marched from the bus stand to Kranti Maidan.
Workers from factories, mines, shipyards, port and dock, commercial establishments, transport, government and semi-government departments marched with colourful posters and banners culminating in a public meeting that highlighted their hardships including daily wages and contract workers in government services.
All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) secretary Suhaas Naik questioned the State government for employing contract labour in various government departments “under oppressive and exploitative service conditions denying them benefits of regularisation.”
He added that many factories and industries that were operational in various industrial estates in Goa continued to exploit working people. He also demanded “equal-pay-for-equal-work” for all contract workers and immediate regularization of all contract workers employed under Drishti Lifesaving Pvt Ltd and PWD Labour Supply Society on the permanent rolls of Tourism department and PWD respectively.
Principal of RDD College of Arts & Science, Belgaum, Anand Mense who chaired the meeting attacked the NDA government for attacking the rights of the working people in the name of Make in India.
A May Day resolution was also unanimously agreed to. The main resolution taken included the immediate revision of minimum wages for all unskilled category at the rate of Rs 600 per day with link to dearness allowance and to abolish contract labour system in all perennial and permanent job operations in government and private establishments.
Other resolutions taken included appointing a full time permanent Labor Commissioner for the State, payment of overtime wages to RND employees in accordance with the 6th Pay Commission recommendations, to stop pro-employer changes to labour laws, recover NPA loans given to industrialist and corporate giants, immediate measures to end farmer suicides and to revise the salaries of Goa Bagayatdar workers in accordance with VIth Pay Commission recommendation.
