VASCO: Striking workers of Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) under the banner of Goa Municipal Employees Association (GMEA) paralysed operations including administrative, maintenance and other works on Tuesday. The worst affected was the lifting of garbage that came to stand still. If the issue of pending salaries to municipal workers continues on Wednesday, the situation could worsen further.
“GMEA had served a strike notice on the MMC chief officer on Monday giving him till November 2 to pay pending salaries of October to about 300 municipal workers. However, despite assurances by the CO, the salaries were not paid after which we decided to kick start the strike on Tuesday. The same will continue on Wednesday. A few State leaders met striking workers only to give another assurance of releasing the salary by 3 pm however it remained unfulfilled,” GMEA President Keshav Prabhu said.
There was drama in the MMC as politicians met and extended their support to the striking workers. At one point, the workers locked the administrative section gate and even blocked the main entrance of municipal building restricting movement inside the building.
A delegation of workers, NCP State president Jose Philip D’Souza and others met Mormugao Deputy Collector Sabaji Shetye and apprised him about the hardships faced by the workers due to delay in disbursement of salaries and requested him to intervene in the matter.
