Goemkarponn Desk
VERNA: Around 47 workers of a company based in Verna Industrial Estate agitated for the 50th day in a row outside the company premises against their retrenchment.
All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Goa State President Prasanna Utagi joined the workers in their agitation on Monday evening and demanded that the company management roll back its decision and take up and amicable settlement with the workers.
Speaking to reporters, Utagi said it was the 50th day of the protest by workers who had been retrenched from work.
“It was Easter Sunday on March 31 when the company management chose to retrench these 47 workers by sending WhatsApp messages and they credited an amount supposed to be their legal dues on the same night,” said Utagi.
“Their notice stated that there will be no relation between these workers and the management from the next day of the notice sent on WhatsApp. Having worked for them for over 25 years and ensuring that the company is making huge profits, we consider this as most inhuman and most uncalled for illegal action against these workers because most of the issues concerned with these workers have been pending before the labour commissioner office for over 18 months.”
Utagi said the workers had immediately filed a case before the labour commissioner against this retrenchment and demanded that it be rolled back.
“However, the management is just giving dates after dates to harass the workers. We have met the management and even gave certain proposals for amicable settlement and the labour commissioner also directed the management to have the discussion settled but the management did not come forward.”
Utagi said the management has filed a case against the workers and the union in the civil court stating that the workers don’t have the right to sit outside the company for a protest because their reputation in India and the world is affecting them and their share prices are falling.
“Some workers have crossed 50 years and may not have a chance of getting a job elsewhere and some even have children who have cleared the SSC exams. Their dream of educating their children may not be possible after they have been retrenched suddenly and we demand that the decision be rolled back by taking an amicable and reasonable settlement,” said Utagi.
