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MARGAO
Margao municipal daily wage garbage workers went on a flash strike on Thursday morning for two hours to protest against what they called as the illegal deduction of provident fund contribution of the Municipality from their daily wage.
A day after they descended in the corridors of the civic body to seek clarification on the deduction of the provident fund by the Municipality from their daily wage, the workers struck work for two hours as they refused to go for work on Thursday morning. The aggrieved daily wage workers assembled at the municipal garage located at the Old Market and refused to leave for work till their issue concerning their daily wage and deduction of provident fund are addressed to their satisfaction.
When the news over the flash strike by the daily wage garbage workers reached the Margao Municipal Chairperson, Babita Prabhudesai, rushed to the Old Market in an effort to reassure the daily wage workers that the civic body will do no injustice to any of the daily wage workers. In fact, Babita told the workers that the Municipality will henceforth not deduct the provident fund contribution of the civic body from the daily wage of the workers. “I assure each one of you that the Municipality will do no injustice to any one of you as far as payment of your daily wage is concerned. If the Municipality had been deducting the provident fund contribution of the civic body from your daily wage, I will see to it that the anomaly is rectified immediately,” she said.
The chairperson told the workers that since the Margao Municipality is having a meeting of the Standing Committee later in the evening, all issues concerning the daily wage and the provident fund will be addressed to the satisfaction of the workers.
Following the chairperson’s assurance, the workers later decided to proceed for work, but not before setting 15 days time for the civic body to set things right and mete out justice to them.
Former chairperson Savio Coutinho, who came on the scene, told the media that the issue was brought to the notice of the MMC, but in vain. “We have decided to set 15 days time to rectify the situation before the workers chalk out the next course of action,” he said.
Standing committee resolves to make additional PF contribution
MARGAO: The Standing Committee of the Margao Municipal Council on Thursday resolved to make separate provident fund contribution to the Municipal daily wage garbage workers without touching their daily wages.
The meeting chaired by Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai said that each of the daily wage garbage workers will receive Rs 500 as daily wage, inclusive of 12 per cent provident fund contribution. She, however, made it clear that the Municipality will contribute an additional 12 per cent Provident Fund contribution separately without deducting the amount from the daily wage.
Virtually conceding that the Municipality has been deducting Provident Fund contribution from the Municipality out of the daily wage, the civic body has decided to rectify the anomaly and mete out justice for the workers. However, on the question of refunding the provident fund arrears to the employees, Babita said the Municipality will immediately write to the civic body to guide the Municipality how to go about the matter.
