the goan I network
VASCO
Hundreds of employees affiliated to various workers unions at Mormugo Port Trust (MPT) on Wednesday demonstrated outside the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) to demand a wage revision. union leaders later submitted a representation to MPT Trustees Raghoba Kotkar, Sanjay Satardekar and Chandrakant Gawas, requesting them to take up the matter at the MPT board meeting.
The trustees after receiving the representation from the unions assured to take up the matter with the MPT. The employees have warned of a large-scale agitation if their demands are not met and said the 4,600-odd pensioners would also join the bigger agitation.
Mormugao Port And Railway Workers Union (MPARWU) President Jude D’Costa told reporters said wage revisions were not implemented and arrears were not passed since the last 29 months, while a wage revision was already implemented across 11 major ports in India. “We have not been even paid arrears and those responsible for this come and go, but they have neglected Goan workers. The union has also approached the Goa State Pollution Control Board (PSPCB) to help coal handling at port and it was actually the duty of the management. The management is making false promises and we can’t wait any more,” said D’Costa.
Goa Port and Dock Employees Union (GPADEU) President Augusto D’Costa accused the MPT chairman of fooling the employees. “The MPT management is telling us to recover dues of the State government and other central institutions, but that is not our job. We had reserve funds of Rs 250 crore, which has been finished by the management,” said D’Costa.
GPADEU Secretary Laxmikant Gaude said the management had not focused on business. “We were handling cargo like wood chips, steel coils and other cargo till recently but it has been stopped and diverted elsewhere. The management should have made efforts to see why it was stopped and should have tried for alternative cargo.”
“Berth 9 has been unutilised for so many years, but nothing is being done. Wage revisions were implemented in 2013 with 11 million tonnes of cargo and a revenue of Rs 250 crore. But with 17.68 million tonnes of cargo and revenue of Rs 382 crore in 2018, the wage revision is not being implemented despite having competitively less workers,” said Gaude.
