PANJIM: The All Goa Panchayats Workers’ Union affiliated to the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) on Tuesday made its submission during the meeting held with the 3rd State Finance Commission at Porvorim.
The delegation met the Finance Commission Chairman Daulat Hawaldar, Member Secretary Y Durgaprasad and Member Gurunath Potekar. The union delegation was led by AITUC general secretary Christopher Fonseca along with its president Prasanna Utagi and office-bearers of the Union.
Fonseca made substantial submissions pointing out that panchayat workers are rendering very important services in the local bodies at the grass-root level all over Goa and they are performing their duties and functions, which are on par with the Goa government employees. Till date, the Goa government had extended the benefits of the Fifth and Sixth Pay Commission to the panchayat workers in 191 village panchayats whereas the Seventh Pay Commission benefits were yet to be implemented. This is against the principles of equity and fair-paly and also it violates the principles of “Equal pay for equal and similar type of work,” he said.
Chairman Hawaldar assured the delegation that he had understood the problems of the panchayat workers in the State and that appropriate recommendations will be made.
