MARGAO: Saying they have lost patience over the failure by the National Union of Seafarer’s of India (NUSI) to fulfill the promises, retired seafarers from Goa have threatened to hold series of demonstrations in front of NUSI Wockhardt hospital to press for a hike in the monthly ex-gratia relief.
The Goan Retired Seamen Welfare Association warned that they would be forced to appeal to the people to boycott the hospital for meting injustice to all the retired seamen and widows.
“All retired seamen have now lost their patience and are planning seriously to have several demonstrations in front of NUSI Wockhardt hospital main gate entrance to appeal to the people to boycott the hospital for showing its injustice done to all retired seamen and widows, as NUSI has failed to fulfill its assurances and promise made to them that they would increase the ex-gratia monetary payment from Rs 200 which has not been increased for the last 16 years”, the Association said in a letter signed by President Ifrona Dias, secretary Peter Crasto and treasurer Augustine Fernandes.
What has agitated the retired seafarers is the fact that NUSI had promised them on September 22 to get back to them within two weeks on the outcome of efforts made by the Union vis-à-vis the ex-gratia relief. It’s now over a month since NUSI had made the promise, but the retired seafarers have till date not heard anything from the Union.
The retired seafarers have also drew attention of the South Goa district Magistrate, G P Naik, who had brokered a meeting between NUSI and the seafarers on September 22. Sources in the know said the district Magistrate has also written a letter to NUSI reminding the Union of the promises made to solve the seafarers’ grievances.
The retired seamen and their widow’s are disappointed that NUSI has not made any effort to pursue their genuine demand to get an increase of Monthly Ex-gratia Monteary Association (MEMA) given by the Seafarer’s Welfare Fund Society since 2008 and has been silent over the matter.
Moreover, the retired seafarers pointed out that NUSI general secretary Abdul Ghani Y Serang has failed to negotiate on the demand put forth by former NUSI general secretary late Dr Leo Barnes 11 years ago.(HD)
I would request the seamen (tarvotti) to join hands with Niz Goenkar. We will try our best to help you to meet your demands.
ReplyDeleteYes... Join hands with Niz Goenkar and we will find a solution to make sure your voice is heard and demands are met. Niz Goenkar is determined to weed out all corruption and to wake up those who forget their promises and go to sleep.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the Rs:12.64 Crores recieved in the year 1975, being the differential of wages for the Registered Seafarers, deposited by foreign Shipping Companys gone? who asked the D.G.Shipping to invest that money in Government funds? from 1991 to 2011 the ex-gratia monetary assistance of Rs:200/-has not been enhanced,till today now this Rs:12.64 Crores is accumilated to @ Rs:600 Crores.Out of 30,000 Registered Seafarers 90% of them are no more,the D.G.of Shipping,S.W.F.S.,and the Seafarers unions of India are cheating the Retired Seafarers creating other schemes to produce false accounts, an amount of atleast Rs:5000/-as Pension should be given to them and to their widows since the money is with the Government,otherwise this accumilated money should be paid back to the Retired Registered Seafarers and their widows with immediate effect because this money is the hard earned money of the Registered Retired Seafarers who had worked hard under foreign flags,which the D.G. of Shipping and the unions will never understand.
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