PANJIM: The Government of India Navigation Employees Union (Goa) has warned the government against the proposed suspension of two coxswains, who participated in the two-day nationwide strike, claiming any action would amount to victimisation of the employees.
“The union has taken serous cognisance of the reported news in some dailies that the River Navigation Department has decided to suspend two employees for their support to the January 9 strike. The union has firmly and unambiguously decided that should the RND resort to any adventurous acts of overt or covert victimisation of the RND employees will swiftly and collectively oppose such anti-labour moves,” a statement issued by the All India Trade Union Congress, which is backing GOINEU, said.
GOINEU secretary Christopher Fonseca has called upon the government and the RND management ‘to desist from stoking the embers of seething anger among the flotilla staff and instead, solve all their pending demands listed in the strike notice’.
The department on Wednesday had recommended to the government to suspend the coxswain along the Old Goa ferry route, as they participated in the strike despite ESMA being in force. The recommendation came as the residents of Divar, who are dependent on water transport to reach the mainland, were put to inconvenience due to the strike.
