TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The labour unions in the State, irrespective of their ideologies, have joined hands to demand for a minimum labour wage of Rs 12,000 per month as against Rs 10,000 across the country.
Goa Convention of Workers (GCW), an umbrella organization of trade unions including INTUC, CITU, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, will hold demonstration in Panjim and Margao on September 25, as a part of Pan-India strike called by labour unions protesting against the anti-people/labour policies of the Central and State government.
“Everything is expensive in Goa compared to the rest part of the country. This is the reason why we are demanding Rs 12,000 as a minimum wage for the worker although nationally the demand is for Rs 10,000,” Raju Mangueshkar, Deputy General Secretary, All India Trade Union Congress told a press conference.
Mangueshkar said that the situation regarding minimum wages for workers in state’s industrial estate is grim as some are paid as low as Rs 150 per day by their employers. “The labour union has been protesting against the daily wages which are meager ~ Rs 150 to Rs 250 per day. This is nothing but exploitation of labour class,” he added.
They voiced various other demands including roll back of prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG cylinders, abolition of contract system of labour and regularization of services, etc. Apart from this, issues pertaining to protection of the jobs and livelihood of mining affected and dependent people will also be raised during the protests.
