CHRISTOPERH FONSECA SAYS FEAR OF CREATION OF NEW MAOISTS

PANJIM: The general secretary of All India Trade Union Congress, Mr Christopher Fonseca, said that unrest is brewing in the state amongst the working class and the day is not far, when this unrest would burst out in the form like the Maoists, which are presently operating in the northern states of the country.

Addressing a press conference, on Friday morning, at his office, Mr Fonseca said that the cause for this is that workers loose their jobs every alternate day due to the contractual nature of their service.  He said that ‘outsourcing’ contractualisation of all sorts of jobs, be it in the government departments or private sector, factories or offices, have almost become the order of the day.

He said that the practice of engaging on contractual form of employment is created by the very government itself, and is not only a shameful practice but reflects the exploitative nature of the ‘nexus’ between the ruling class and the politicians, the government, bureaucrats and the private sector employer class.  He said a few individual politicians, bureaucrats and the employers grow richer by the year as witnessed in post-liberated Goa.

“Today more than 1000 workers in the electricity department, nearly 2000 workers in PWD and over 250 workers in Goa Medical College and at many other departments, are anxiously waiting to be regularised, after working for years in the same department. However, attempts are made to discontinue their services and recruit another set of workers through ‘back door’ manipulation or under some other pretext,” he claimed.

He informed that the same situation exists in the mining sector, stone queries, construction industries, posts and telegraphs, including rail mail service, BSNL and in various other factories. He said these policies are against the directive of principles of state policies enshrined into the Constitution of India.

The government of Goa has committed fraud by eliminating dearness allowance, he said. He informed that the workers organised under the banner of AITUC would commit themselves to fight against these social and socio-economic injustices against the working classes and carry on the struggle until they usher in a truly democratic society where the interests of the toiling class is protected.

On December 19, AITUC will celebrate the Goa Liberation Day in this spirit and rededicate themselves to the high ideals for which freedom fighters have lived and sacrificed their lives. The contract workers in GMC would hold a dharna at 9 a.m. and PWD and electricity department workers will participate in numerous programmes in city at 10 a.m. he informed.