TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Alleging that mass exploitation of labour class is being done by the real estate lobby, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) on Thursday demanded the implementation of the rule which mandates payment of one percent labour cess for the cost of construction of building. He alleged that this was halted in Goa since 2009.
Speaking to media persons, AITUC convenor Adv Suhas Naik said that in tune with the Central legislation, the Goa government in 2008 enacted the Building and the Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1996, according to which one percent cess on the total construction cost of the project would be collected to fund welfare schemes for lakhs of construction labourers in the State.
However, he said that the collection was halted in 2009 by government at the behest of real estate developers. Naik pointed out that the erstwhile government, while enacting the Act had appointed nearly 30 inspectors for collection of cess, who are today paid salaries without doing any work.
AITUC said that BJP-led government should immediately begin the implementation of the act, failing which an agitation would be launched. It also accused Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of adopting anti-labour and anti-working class policies.
