MARGAO: The daily wage workers of Margao Municipal Council (MMC) have decided to protest against the civic body for allegedly deducting money from their wages for Provident Fund, but not depositing the same.
The labourers allege that the MMC has been deducting money from their wages for Provident Fund for the last two years, but has not deposited the deducted amount with the Provident Fund organisation. The MMC had decided to deposit their contribution of PF in February after the entire act was brought to light. The MMC has been deducting Provident Fund contribution from 250 workers, but none has been deposited till date.
The MMC owes an average of Rs 48,000 to each labourer and now they have asked when the MMC plans to pay the deducted amount to them.
Earlier, the workers had decided to protest; however after Chairperson Babita Angle intervened, they stepped back.
According to the Provident Fund scheme, the MMC needs to deduct fund from every worker earning Rs 500 or more as daily wage and deposit the same with additional 12% share from the MMC itself. The workers had realised that the MMC has been only deducting their money and never gave its share of PF.
Former chairperson Savio Coutinho said that the MMC won’t be able to brush away it responsibility of giving the rightful share of their salaries. He said that the protest on Woman’s Day would decide the future course of action of the labourers.
