Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will meet agitating lifeguards on Friday to listen to their grievances. This was informed by Christopher Fonseca, general secretary, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC). Fonseca was leading the protest of lifeguards outside Paryatan Bhavan at Patto, Panaji.
All 650 lifeguards in Goa have gone on an indefinite strike at a time when tourists in huge numbers are flocking to Goa in the last week of December. This is also when two popular music events, Sunburn and Supersonic, happen every year on the beaches of Goa. When asked about the timing of the strike, Fonseca said, “We had given one month strike notice to the authorities but they didn’t even move an inch.”
Wednesday was the third day of the infinite strike by lifeguards, who are crucial for the safety of tourists and also locals on beaches. Fonseca said, “We have three main demands. One, the salary of lifeguards should be increased from Rs 10,500 per month to Rs 21,000 per month, which is line with the 6th Pay Commission. Two, there has to be a road-map of service conditions, which should talk about training and validation of lifeguards. Training and validation of lifeguards should be handled by an independent body. Third, 17 lifeguards who were terminated by the contractor on flimsy grounds should be reinstated.”
