VASCO
Western India Shipyard Workers Union on Thursday stated that it will not accept 'one-sided settlement' drawn up by the management.
The Union convened a meeting at the company premises at Harbour to chalk out their strategy against the closure notice issued by the management in one of the local dailies.
Addressing the workers, Union leader Adv Ajitsingh Rane said the union will not accept the one-sided settlement drawn up by the management.
“If the company shuts down the yard forcefully, then the Union will protest by taking help of other industrial workers till justice is met,” said Rane.
He requested the workers to be calm as the notice doesn't have any legal status and is one-sided.
“Whenever any government official, whether it is the collector, police or company officials, visits the yard, they should announce the visit in advance, and allow one leader to accompany them to their offices to ascertain the purpose of their visit,” said Rane.
Speaking to The Goan, Rane said the notice is biased and the allegations against the workers are all false.
“We will give an appropriate reply to the notice at right time, and in the meantime, the BJP government, which claims that the issue of WISL workers is resolved, should now direct the management to withdraw the notice and restart the illegally closed company at the earliest,” said Rane.
Rane said from Thursday, the workers will be present on all the three shift timings to avoid any plans of the company to lock the gate in their absence.
“The company should first officially submit to us the proposal of the one-time settlement and it should include pension benefits, PF, gratuity, paid leave, compensation and other statuary dues, as we have lost faith in the management,” added Rane.
Rane informed that four months salary paid by the company in September is now termed as adhoc payment from the one-time settlement and will be deducted from final settlement amount which is a breach of trust.
Union vice-president Alex Pacheco urged the workers, who are inclined to some politicians, not to leak the secrets of the Union which leads to breach of unity of the Union.
Pacheco assured the workers that the Union will not bow down before the management and if need arises the Union will resort to a wider agitation.
