Shillong, Jan 19: Displaying placards which said ‘Violation of Labour Laws against the Law’, ‘Reformation in Privatisation’, Meghalaya EMRI workers Union today took out a rally protesting the indifferent attitude of the management to solve their problem.
These EMRI workers have sought the intervention of the state government on the need to immediately address at least eight points out of the 36-point charter of demands.
The eight points include working hours, working conditions, leave policy, 100 percent salary enhancement, 30 percent annual increment, clearing the arrear pending since 2017, maintenance of ambulances and safety working condition for women staff.
Talking about it, Advisor of Meghalaya EMRI workers union Susan Lyngdoh said, “We demand the government kindly come up with a solution to take up this project on their own or form a society.”
Stating that by March 2021 tender tenure of GVK management is getting over, Lyngdoh said “So we want them (Govt) to close down the tender and not give it to any company from outside the state, find a solution within the state because it is for the betterment of the people of the state.”
She further stated that despite coming down from 36 charter of demands to 8, their demands are not met and even the GVK management has not come out for any compromise yet.
“The protest that we had today is after all the years we have gone for agitation. We have 36 demands where we compromise to eight but till date none of the demands are met. So we have come out publicly to show to the Government that in spite of compromising and returning back to the work after strikes and hunger strikes everything that we have done the GVK management does not come to the compromise with the workers and the field staff of the GVK EMRI,” the protestor said.
The protesting workers also alleged that there was deduction of salary during lockdown, “ Till date we are suppress by this management, deductions are there during lockdown, we demand this GVK management or any other company if come top take this project this will compromise with the life and death with the people of the state,” she added.
