Congress general secretary Sunil Kawthankar alleged that while the government spends lavishly on unnecessary foreign tours, it cites shortage of funds to pay contractual workers.
Addressing the press on Thursday, Kawthankar said, “Government should have humanitarian approach towards the working class. But with the present attitude, it is clear that they are anti working class. We will raise the matter in the Assembly and provide all legal assistance to the striking workers,” he said.
The party decided to take this step after a meeting with 145 temporary workers of the Directorate Sports and Youth Affairs, who were terminated from service five months after being denied salaries. Moreover, hundreds of other contractual workers including workers of 108 GVK EMRI ambulance service and security guards have also been on a silent protest for the last couple of months.
Kawthankar condemned the government’s move against the contractual workers recalling that BJP would often hit the streets demanding justice for the working class before coming to power in the year 2012. He added that they are supporting the agitating workers including the Directorate Sports and Youth Affairs employees who are protesting outside the department.
“The SYA employees were thrown out of the jobs some months back with an assurance to absorb them soon. Before that, they were not paid salaries for about four-to-five months. Government should accommodate them as there are over 700 establishments attached with this department even if it has to relax the Recruitment Rules,” Kawthankar accompanied by former MLA Agnelo Fernandes added. The non-payment of ‘13th month’s pay’ to the police force was also questioned by the duo arguing that government spends money on unnecessary foreign trip without any sympathy towards the contractual workers.
