TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: A delegation led by the All India Trade Union Congress (Goa) on Wednesday met Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar and Labour Minister Avertano Furtado and asked them to scrap the lifeguard and safety services contract with Drishti Special Response Services Pvt Ltd.
Lifeguards and safety workers had in 2014 urged the Goa government to take over the Lifesaving Service and also demanded to reinstate 17 to 18 lifeguards and workers who were sacked from their job.
The delegation told Herald that they want the government to take over the services provided they put in place a proper service structure for lifeguards before abolishing the contract with Drishti. The meeting, however, had no representative from the contractor, to whom the contract has been awarded since 2008.
According to the delegation, the government is ‘positive’ on their demand to reinstate the terminated employees even as the clarity would come on February 9 when they have the next meeting. The aggrieved workers – underlining that their termination was illegal and unjustified – also urged the government to prepare ‘service conditions’ for them.
The workers said that they had given the ministers a composite proposal on service structure for the short term and long term. This will determine the service conditions for the lifeguards.
The services of about 17-18 lifeguards and workers attached to Drishti were terminated in July-August 2014, following which some stayed off the beaches claiming harassment and victimization by the company.
