PONDA: Around 250 workers of Goa Dairy have threatened to go on a three-day strike from January 28, if, by then, the management fails to implement the Seventh pay scale.
The workers have warned that they would not be responsible, if supply of milk is halted during the three-day strike and the public are affected.
To press for their demands, the employees led by traded union leader Puti Gaonkar protested outside the gate of Goa Dairy after working hours on Thursday late evening. The workers have threatened to continue such protest for another two days to press for their various demands.
Gaonkar said that the employees had got the benefit of Fourth, Fifth and Sixth pay commission. However, he said, the management is delaying to implement the Seventh pay scale. He said that the dearness allowance and arrears of employees are pending since the year 2016. Further, he said, the MACP scheme has not been implemented for the employees. “If these demands are not met, then, the employees will go on a strike,” he warned.
When asked whether it is possible for Goa Dairy, which is going through losses, to bear the additional burden of implementing Seventh pay scale, Puti Gaonkar said, “Goa Dairy is not going through losses. It is in profit. It is due to mismanagement it had suffered artificial loss. It is not real loss.”
“Further, the former cooperation minister Mahadev Naik recruited 30 surplus employees, who have become a burden on Goa Dairy. The former MD Ghate was successful and brought Goa Dairy into profit and even cleared loan amount to the tune of crores,” he said and compared it to KTC, which is also running in loss, saying if it can afford to implement Seventh pay, why can’t Goa Dairy.
Administrator of Goa Dairy Damodar Morajkar could not be reached for his comments.
However, MD Ragunath Dhuri said that Goa Dairy has received from the employees the memorandum of demands, including seventh pay scale and the same are under consideration.
“We will conduct financial audit of Goa Dairy and find out whether it is possible to implement the Seventh pay scale. We are positive towards their demands. Both the management and employees will hold joint meeting on their demand; hope that a solution comes out before January 28,” he said.
