Goa's Workers: Battling Exploitative Hours amid Anti-Labour Policies

In Goa, industrial workers are reportedly working 14-16 hour shifts without receiving extra compensation, as claimed by the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) secretary Suhas Naik. Speaking during a broader protest against anti-labour and farmer policies, Naik criticized the pressures placed on workers by state and central government legislation.

A mass gathering in Panaji supported a nationwide strike to highlight dissatisfaction with new labour codes and related issues. Naik challenged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to justify the exploitation, citing unaddressed complaints against companies as evidence of systematic negligence toward workers' rights.

The protest spotlighted the BJP-led NDA government's introduction of four new labour codes, which Naik argued were detrimental to existing rights, privileging corporations over workers. He also condemned the state's use of the Goa Essential Services and Maintenance Act (ESMA), describing it as a tool to quash strikes in vital economic sectors, protecting corporations at the expense of laborers' rights.

(With inputs from agencies.)