TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
BICHOLIM: Workers of a mining company in Bicholim on Friday met Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to demand job security, after about 1,050 workers from the taluka were served lay-off notices.
It may be recalled that on January 2, about 1,050 mining workers from Bicholim, Sanquelim, Pale, Kodli and surrounding areas were served with lay-off notices under Chapter VB of the Industrial Dispute Act of 1947.
Union leader Christopher Fonseca, Raju Mangeshkar, Suhas Naik and others met the mining authorities expressing disappointment over the issue. The mining authorities said the decision has been communicated to the Central government.
A workers’ delegation of five members met Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in Bicholim on Friday and requested him to provide them work security.
“We had a meeting with the chief minister who assured us that he will talk with the company officials and ask them not to have lay-off. He also said that he will ask the company to wait till the court hearing which is scheduled after two months,” a worker told the media.
The workers also met the MLAs of all the three constituencies including Bicholim, Sanquelim and Mayem. The MLAs assured their full support and expressed that serving lay-off notices to workers without informing the State government is wrong and the government will handle the issue.
