The retrenched employees of Sesa Mining Company at Bicholim mining block gathered at the company’s head office, in Patto-Panjim demanding immediate payment of their Provident Fund dues.
The workers were retrenched in June last year after Vedanta took over the company. They said their gratuity has been paid but the Provident Fund payment was pending for a long time.
This is the second time that the retrenched workers have protested outside the company’s head office to demand their pending payment of Provident Fund.
Vedanta Sesa Goa said that Sesa Mining Corporation Ltd is actively engaging with the Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), Government of India, for an early release of the worker’s dues.
Pointing out that the EPFO has its mandated processes to follow with associated timelines, the company urged the EPFO to expedite the resolution of PF dues.
“We have had three meetings with the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner at EPFO and have submitted our application promptly. Our expeditious and rigorous follow-up has been acknowledged by EPFO and the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner conveyed the same to the Ex-SMCL Workers’ Representatives along with Vedanta Sesa Goa officials in a meeting held on December 8, 2023,” the company said.
The EPFO has its mandated processes to follow with associated timelines. Vedanta Sesa Goa has accomplished all preliminary actions within the requisite time frame and the process is awaiting clearance from EPFO there is no delay on our part, it further said.
“We have been continuously engaging, transparently, with ex-SMCL workers and extending our full support to them,” the company added.
We are committed to ensuring an early resolution and have left no stone unturned to support our workers. We would continue to request the EPFO to expedite the resolution of Provident Fund dues, the company added.
