Sirs This did not appear on your Goa net GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES, BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA) +91 98221 58584 (24 HRS) [email protected]
----- Forwarded message ----- From: godfrey gonsalves <[email protected]>To: Goanet <[email protected]>Sent: Saturday, 2 May, 2020, 09:18:30 pm UTCSubject: CELEBRATING COVID 19 WARRIORSS The Defence forces of India are all set to conduct today 3rd May 2020 fly pasts, play military bands light up ships at sea shower flower petals at hospitals treating COVID -19 patients accross the country to express their gratitude to the doctors nurses health care workers para medics and not forgeting the police sanitation workers local storeowners involved in the ongoing battle against COVID 19. There is no doubt that this is a much needed booster for these personnel to satiate their spirits and is most welcome But it has come to light that many of the legislations that are intended to protect these new warriors lack earnest mplementation both in letter and spirit by the office of the Commissioner of Labour and Employment in Goa viza) The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition Act 1970 b) The Inter State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service ) Act 1979to protect the sanitation and other workmenc) The Minimum Wages Act 1948 and Rules thereof Hence the underlying resentment among these new warriors as they are out of the ambit of the organised sector. A visit to the some of the private Hospitals in the city wherein Minimum wages for --- Employment in Private hospital nursing homes dispensaries medical clinics radiology etc are notified ----------these wages are not paid to the work persons . There is no display of these Minimum wages and when a copy of the same was shown to some of the nurses, sanitation workers they feigned ignorance or feared to demand the minimum wages + half yearly DA and the minimum Bonus implemented by the Central or State Act. There is another sad story many of the Shops and Commercial Establishments who have been authorised by the directives of the Ministry of Home Affairs Government of India conveyed to the State Chief Secretary to remain open post lock down are only those which are registered . Apparently the registration under these acts and the Occupation and trade licence of the respective Panchayats or Municipalities or Municipal Corporation are mandatory It is not clear whether the Office of Commissioner or Labour and Employment in the State have ascertained vide a routine discreet inspection to ascertain these requirements while they allow these commercial establishments and shops to open up.Niether has the Muicipality or the Panchayats taken this opportunity to ensure compliance by these owners, when this was time opportune for them to do so Similarly had both a) The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition Act 1970 b) The Inter State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service ) Act 1979 been implemented in letter and spirit these legislations would have come to protect the sanitation and other workmen against the sufferings that have been meted out to them during the lock down period as their employers apparently abandoned them and thrown them at the mercy of the State Governments to look after them and many of the employerrs have paid not heed to the PMs view to have compassion on their work force during the lock down period An nspection post lock down needs to be carried out by the authorities of the Office of Labour and Employment to ascertain whether workmen were paid for the lock down period or that they were not removed from Employment In conclusion it is the expectations of these dedicated workmen that their wages and employment should be protected and towards this end the State Governments should conduct a rigourous excercise all over the States to ensure enforecement of the laws that they have enacted. GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES, cyber journo social activist BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA) +91 98221 58584 (24 HRS) [email protected]
