the goan I network
MARGAO
Close to 70 workers, including around 40 workers, have been working for the MMC on daily wages of Rs 323, earning far less than the regular civic workers, though putting up similar or more work in the civic body. Some of these workers have been working for the civic body for half-a-decade to a decade, without enjoying benefits such as medical and other allowances. Pleas made by the employees’ association to the government and the municipal authorities to regularize these class of daily wage workers, had all fallen on deaf ears in the past.
Information gathered by The Goan revealed that while a regular and permanent worker enjoyed a salary and allowances amounting to Rs 25,000 and more, the daily wage workers have been a discriminated lot over the years, even though they do equal or more work than their regular counterparts.
Says general secretary of Goa Municipal Employees Association, Anil Shirodkar: “The judgement by the apex court should certainly give a big relief to the daily wage employees working for the Margao Municipal Council. We have around 70 daily wage workers employed with the civic body, including 30 workers employed to collect and dispose of garbage. Though these class of workers put up equal work and work hand in hand with their regular counterparts, they receive only a paltry salary. They also do not enjoy basic amenities and allowances as enjoyed by their regular counterparts.”
Shirodkar said though the government had recently agreed in principle to regularize these 70 daily wage workers, the latest Supreme Court judgement will help the settle their long-pending grievances.
Meanwhile, former MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho has said the Supreme Court judgement on equal pay for equal work is indeed a welcome judgement in the interest of the daily wage workers.
“Several daily wage workers have been employed by every government department and are working on daily wages for decades together without any benefits as compared to the fixed employees in the same department. The Margao Municipal Council has several workers employed on daily wages for garbage collection. While fixed workers enjoy all the possible allowances and benefits, the daily wage workers get none, not even extra wages for working on public holidays. These workers are literally subjected to blackmail by their superiors, with threats of termination from services,” Coutinho said. Departments concerned should now deliver justice to them, he added.
long overdue.
