PANJIM: Claiming that not a single assurance made by the State government during the monsoon session of the Goa Assembly has been fulfilled, the Balrath employees on Tuesday staged demonstration at Azad Maidan, here to press for their demands.
Speaking to reporters, All Goa United Balrath Employees Union leader Swati Kerker said, “On several occasions, we have demanded that salary of Balrath drivers and attendants be credited directly in their bank accounts. We had also demanded that their service contract be for 11 months and not just 10 months. We had also demanded ESI and insurance for them. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had agreed to that but since July 17 till date nothing has happened.”
Kerkar said that they have been following up their demands with the Director of Education and the Chief Minister and that everybody is promising that their demands will be met. But the fact is that schools management received increased grants-in-aid but drivers and attendants salary remained same.
Kerkar also pointed out that two experienced drivers working at the Rosary School at Navelim have been suddenly removed from the service soon after the government agreed to hike their salary and appointed new employees. Both the drivers, who were providing their service to the Rosary School, Navelim for the last 11 years, were removed from service in the current academic year. She alleged that they were sacked as they did not support wrongdoings by the school management when the government was providing enhanced grants-in-aid to these schools.
Kerkar demanded that the government should stop hire and fire system by the school managements and frame recruitment rules for the Balrath employees. Referring to the school management’s contention that the two drivers were not performing, she demanded to know if it was so then why was the memo not issued to them?
“We have brought the issue of two drivers before the government but it is not interested at all,” she said and demanded that the school management reinstate the drivers immediately.
Demanding a hike in the salary of Balrath drivers and attendants, Kerkar recalled that on July 17 this year, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had assured the Legislative Assembly that the Directorate of Education will revise the salaries of all the Balrath employees and also increase grants-in-aid to schools.
”Wages of Balrath Employees will be revised satisfactorily after discussing with the Union leader and other four members is what Pramod Sawant had said,” she said.
Following indefinite strike by the Balrath Employees in July this year demanding hike in salary, regularisation in service and benefits under ESI and PF and health insurance, the government had announced revised assistance under which salary of drivers was increased to Rs 17,000 per month and attendants to Rs 10,000 per month with effect from June 2023 with annual five per cent increase. The government had also agreed to pay them salary for 11 months instead of 10 months.
