The union alleged that government has defied its own assurance made on a public platform and the lifeguards, after withdrawing their indefinite strike on January 13, 2016 have been subjected to further harassment by the contractors.
“The Tourism Minister (Dilip Parulekar) and Calangute MLA (Michael Lobo) have failed to honour public assurance given to Drishti workers at the time of withdrawal of indefinite Satyagraha. It’s been more than a month… We have thus decided to intensify the strike and boycott work once in every month,” AITUC general secretary Christopher Fonseca said.
Supported by various tourism stakeholders, most lifeguards have protested work, demanding fulfilling of long pending demands. On the 16th day of the strike, the minister had assured that the 16 ‘victimised’ workers would be reemployed despite the agency resolving not to do so, and that salaries would be hiked by Rs 2,500 (from present Rs 12,500 to Rs 15,000). In addition to this, Parulekar had also assured that the government will constitute a committee under Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act to go into the issue of abolition and regularisation of the lifeguards and also that no deductions would be made in the salaries for the strike period.
“None of these have come into force. The lifeguards are not paid timely salaries, and the harassment and victimisation of lifeguards continue at the hands of the contractors. The lifeguards are not allowed to stay in the stations even to partake their meals. They are transferred from one place to another,” convener Suhas Naik alleged.
These circumstances have forced the lifeguards to once again boycott work but this time, for one day in every month to protest government’s yet another U-turn.
