TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has decided to hold a day-long demonstration in front of the Office of the Labour Commissioner at Patto, Panjim on January 5, to protest against the anti-labour polices of the State government.
“The year 2015, would be the year of struggles for human rights, fair living wages, safe and dignified work environment and humane service conditions to all the working people of Goa,” AITUC General Secretary Christopher Fonseca told media persons on Friday.
Fonseca said that the labour relation scenario in Goa is deteriorating day-by-day, wherein workers are forced to come on the roads and compelled to resort to strikes and protests due to the anti-labour policies of the government.
“The year 2014 has witnessed a spate of avoidable strikes and demonstrations throughout the State. The working people are under constant threat of losing their jobs,” he said accusing government of failing to hike the mining wages to Rs 600 per day, a demand which has been pending since 2013.
The union leader said that the government, which has to act as an ideal employer, ought to provide both job safety and security benefits to the working class. Fonseca said that a detail memorandum highlighting the problems of the working people has been submitted to Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, whose immediate intervention has been sought to resolve these long-pending issues.
Denounces protests against PK
PANJIM: All India Trade Union Congress on Friday denounced the protests against the megastar Aamir Khan starrer – ‘PK’, by right wing Hindu organizations.
“We denounce the communal and fundamentalist forces which are trying to trample and suffocate the freedom of speech and expression, art and culture,” AITUC General Secretary Christopher Fonseca told media persons, Friday. He said that the insinuations, false propaganda and the shrill cries to ban the instructive film, PK, is a vivid example of such acts.
“I find it foolish that people are protesting against such a movie. They should see the film and reform themselves,” he added. “The union government is shielding the communal forces which are giving them the courage to protest against the movie on the streets and attack theatres,” he alleged. He urged people not to get distracted and rather focus on the crucial issues that are affecting the common man due to anti-people policies of the BJP government.
