Strikers say that efforts are being made to rope in political forces to get the government to give up its indifferent attitude to the strike, even as it entered the second month. The GRES and Goa Trade Unions Confederation (GTUC), as part of their state wide door-to-door signature campaign, have collected 9,000 signatures and are organizing an all-party mega alliance meeting, at GCCI on March 15. The union also plans on organizing a morcha outside the secretariat when Assembly sessions begin later this month.
Ajeetsingh Rane, GTUC president, along with AAP member Swati Kerkar said that while they have been forced to send women strikers home, their demands had not changed.
“The problem with the parade ground is that the workers can’t cook there and there are no toilets. It is because of these reasons we asked the women to return home. Our own worry is that after the 17th day, they may not let us come back,” Kerkar said.
An order issued by the North Goa collectorate asked the protestors to shift from the Azad Maidan to the parade ground after organizers at the ongoing Shigmotsav festival complained against the striking workers.
“We have decided to get all the political parties in the State to come together so we discuss our issues and come to a consensus,” Rane said. Of the many issues they plan to discuss at the March 15 meeting is generation of new self employment opportunities, a better understanding of the agricultural and industrial sectors and how to make better use of these sectors.
