TEAM HERALD
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BORIM: Claiming that doles and financial packages cannot rejuvenate the State’s economy, the Goa State Committee of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has demanded the resumption of mining operations in the State in a scientific and sustainable manner at the earliest.
AITUC made the demand during ‘Workers Day’ function at Ponda on Wednesday. A large number of workers shouted slogans against the UPA government for its alleged failure to protect the interests of workers and protect them. The workers carried out a rally in Ponda city under the leadership of Christopher Fonseca, general secretary of AITUC. The rally culminated at Kranti Maidan, Ponda.
AITUC Secretary Vahida Nizam demanded that mining activities in the State should resume at the earliest.
Lambasting the UPA government, Nizam alleged that in India, democracy is working for capitalist and that the government doesn’t have inclination towards workers. “Inflation is rising every passing day and labour class finds it difficult to survive,” she added.
Speaking on the occasion, Fonseca vowed to work for workers’ interest. “If we are united, then we can bring change,” he added.
He also demanded that the retirement age of clerks working in panchayats should be 60 years and that minimum wages for domestic workers should be implemented.
“Thousands of workers from the mining belt are jobless due to suspension of mining. It is high time that the chief minister stop making it an issue of prestige and pray to Supreme Court so that the activities resume,” Fonseca appealed.
Suhas Naik, secretary of Goa State Committee of AITUC, said the UPA government is playing a political gimmick by making petrol cheaper.
Adv R D Mangeshkar, Deputy General Secretary of AITUC, compered the programme. Prasanna Utagi, president of Goa state committee, John Paul Noronha, Anil Naik, Joaquim Fernandes and A F G Mascarenhas were present.
AITUC also demanded to start mining, improve PDS and provide 35 kgs of food grains to each family, revise minimum wages to Rs 12,000 for unskilled workers, abolish contract system and pay them on par with permanent workers, guaranteed pension of Rs 5,000 to all retired workers, absorb and regularize contract workers, take steps to stop layoffs, provide job safety and compulsory recognition to trade unions.
