VASCO
Determined to continue their strike, a large number of Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) workers demonstrated outside the MMC building at Vasco on Wednesday.
President of the All Goa Municipal Employees' Union (AGMEU) Keshav Prabhu also met the striking MMC workers and he threatened to file an FIR against the MMC as well.
Speaking to the media, Prabhu lamented that workers had been facing issues of salaries for the last 5 months.
"Instalments of two months are pending and while MMC has deducted the instalments of the workers, the same is not reflecting anywhere and we don't know where the money has gone.”
“If we don't get our instalments of two months cleared, we will be forced to file an FIR against the MMC asking the police to enquire where the money has gone and arrest those involved in this fraud," said Prabhu.
Prabhu dismissed the reason for outstanding of dues as a common excuse by the MMC.
"There may be many reasons, including the removal of octroi from MMC, but what has the worker got to do with it? The chief officer, administrator and council should take up such issues with the government.”
“If these officers can't run the MMC, they can hand the council over to our union and we will run it successfully and make profits as well," said Prabhu.
Prabhu said that instalments deducted be reversed to the salaries since they have not been reflecting anywhere.
"Our main demand now is that workers should be paid full salary. There is no need to deduct our instalments and we will pay for our instalments. Our 6th Pay commission arrears, uniform allowance, dearness allowance and 7th Pay Commission should be settled.”
“We will decide our next step after the issue of two of our instalments are settled. What is the use of the chief officer and administrator with such huge fat salaries if they cannot resolve issues of workers?" asked Prabhu.
