ACGLworkers to strike work, if demands not met before Ganesh

Goemkarponn desk
VALPOI: For the last three years, the demands of the Automobile Corporation of Goa Limited (ACGL) workers at Bhuipal have gone unheard as the Management has not yet paid heed to their demands.
Following the Management’s attitude towards workers, the workers UNion have taken support from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to meet their demands.
After a meeting on Sunday, the company’s trade union has decided to go on a five-day strike after Ganesh Chaturthi if the company’s Management does not seriously consider the demand submitted before the festival.
Vice President of Maharashtra Navnirman Kamgar Sena Rajesh Ujjainkar, Executive Member Maharashtra Pradesh Ganesh Khandare, Secretary Yashwant Ghadge Dinesh Chavan, Legal Adviser of ACGL Workers Union Subhash Naik George, ACGL Company Workers Union President Bablo Sawant, Vice President Prashant Khanolkar, Secretary Subhash Parab, Joint Secretary Suryakant Gavas, ACGL Bus Body Division Workers Union President Gunaji Parab, Vice President Kalidas Naik, Secretary Mahesh Divekar, Joint Secretary Jaysingh Desai, Treasurer Harishchandra Naik, Deputy Treasurer Jaysingh Desai, Deputy Treasurer Baburao Dergunkar, Member Balkrishna Salgaonkar Santosh and others were present for teh meeting.
Speaking to reporters after the annual general meeting, Rajesh Ujjainkar, vice-president of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers ‘union, said the union would provide legal advice to the ACGL workers’ union.
“The workers have faced injustice for forty years. But now, through Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, an attempt will be made to give justice to these workers,” he said.
He said the salary agreement of the workers has been pending for the last three years.
“The second agreement is set to be signed in a few days. However, the Management has not yet agreed to the previous agreement. The union had demanded Rs 6,850 from the Management per worker. However, through the mediation of Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, the company decided to pay Rs 3,600 for three years and another Rs 4,500 for four years. The workers are totally opposed to this,” he said.
At the Annual General Meeting, a secret ballot was held after the advice of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
A total of 253 workers took part in it, out of which 249 workers opposed the CM’s mediation.
Giving details of the annual general meeting, he said that until Ganesh Chaturthi, the Management should decide the 6850 pay hike made by the trade union. Otherwise, the Management will give the notice to go on strike for five days after Ganesh Chaturthi.
Gunaji Parab, president of the trade union, said that the Management has started acting against the interest of workers in the last few days.
“The company has a history of the last forty years. The company has shown good Management over the last several years. But now a Chief Financial officer and some other officials are conspiring against the workers,” he said.
He said that there is a conspiracy to hire workers on a contract basis while the company has many permanent workers.
Babloo Sawant, a trade union official, said the company had removed many of the workers’ facilities for the past three years.
The company has made a profit in the last forty years, but the company’s Management has been giving false information that the company is running at a loss due to a rise in labour.
Prashant Khanolkar, vice-president of the association, said that some senior officials in the company’s Management had accused them of taking advantage of the company.