Goa has invoked provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act on lifeguards working on the state's 106 km coastline as several associations representing them have given a call for 48-hour strike beginning on Friday.
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The associations demand that the lifeguards on contract be paid remuneration applicable to skilled workers. They also want the workers terminated by contractual agency reinstated.
The state Labour Commissioner has invited the union representing lifeguards for talks.
Sources said the government was left with no option but to invoke ESMA as the safety of tourists on beaches could be jeopardised. The lifeguards are not directly employed by the State Tourism but through
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a contractor.
Advocate Suhas Naik of AITUC told The Hindu that if their demands are met they will withdraw the strike notice. He contended that ESMA is not applicable to these workers as the government itself has stated that lifeguards have not been employed by it directly. "We are also not interested in making life unsafe on Goan beaches".
The trade union has alleged that the DLPL is following "hire and fire policy" for lifeguards and other contractual workers.
A spokesperson of the DLPL, has persistently denied all the charges and also said that no trade union represents its workforce, including lifeguards.