In a significant development, the wages of labourers engaged in loading and unloading works at the railway side wagons of the Goa Carbon Company here have been increased by more than 75 per cent.
Earlier, these labourers were getting an amount of Rs 75 per tonne of loading and unloading. After this increment, they would be paid Rs 100 per tonne.
Nearly 800 labourers have been working at the railway side for the last seven years. But there had not been any increment in their wages over these years. The beleaguered labourers joined the Ersama Industrial Area labour Association last year.
An agreement has been signed between the Goa Carbon’s general manager and association president Bapi Sarkhel for the wage hike.
The wages of the contractual workers working at the IOCl oil refinery depot for last two months have also been increased by 113 per cent. labourers and intellectuals have expressed their gratitude to Sarkhel, saying he has been working selflessly for the interests of the labourers at Paradip.