VASCO: The Western India Shipyard Limited workers union has refused to accept the settlement proposal made by WISL Management, calling it as biased and one sided.
The workers have threatened that, if the WISL management failed to release salaries of 350-odd workers before Ganesh Chaturthi, then the workers would be compelled to protest like Bhagat Singh.
Addressing a press conference on behalf of WISL workers union, union leader Ajit Singh Rane claimed that on August 24, the officials of WISL management had come down to Goa and had called for a joint meeting with WISL workers to discuss and decide on pending salaries of workers. However, he said, the meeting was just an eyewash. Had the workers agreed to the proposals made by the WISL management, then, the same would have been suicidal for them, he added.
“Firstly, I want to make it very clear that, so far, no State leader has taken any initiatives to resolve our issue. The information going around the town that the issue of WISL workers has been settled with the intervention of Minister Milind Naik, is false. Secondly, the WISL management tactfully crafted the proposal to misguide the workers,” Rane said.
According to Rane, even if the WISL management wants to go for settlement, then, each worker would be entitled to get over Rs 30 to 40 lakhs. However, he said, the management has calculated the settlement amount at Rs 5 lakh, out of which the management would give 40 percent which is Rs 2 lakh, which would then be detected from final settlement. This is wrong and unjust, Rane explained.
“Our demand is that eight months salary should be released first. However, they proposed that they would release four months’ salary in first week of September, and the balance settlement payment will be released before Diwali (October 2016),” Rane said.
