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Business Standard

Goa's private industries face acute manpower shortage, says CM Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday acknowledged a "significant manpower shortage" in industries despite employment opportunities, noting that local youths are reluctant to join the private sector over job security concerns. A meeting of representatives from various industry bodies and state government, chaired by Sawant, has decided to revise the minimum wages across industries and discussed the introduction of skilling courses. Sawant said industries are witnessing a significant manpower shortage and cited an instance wherein only two candidates turned up for interviews conducted by the Goa Pharma Association. A similar situation prevails in the shipbuilding sector, he said. "Job opportunities are available, but there is no manpower," Sawant said, adding that the meeting focused on the issues faced by industries in recruiting local youth. He said the government discussed the introduction of skilling courses and the preparation of an action plan. The chief minister noted that youths in Goa are reluctant to join the private sector due to concerns about job security. "After discussing various issues, we realised that the youth feel the private sector doesn't provide job safety and security. They don't prefer private jobs as a career option," he said. He said the government would enforce strict measures to protect workers in private industries. "Any kind of exploitation of workers will not be tolerated, and such managements will face consequences," Sawant added. The chief minister announced the mandatory hiring of Goan contractors for industrial operations. He said the meeting also reviewed the existing wage structure and decided to revise the minimum wages across industries. Another key issue discussed was the lack of transportation linking bus stands to industrial estates. Industry bodies have been asked to submit their transport requirements to the government for necessary action. In a major decision regarding labour welfare, the Chief Minister said that from July 1, 2025, companies will be required to utilise funds from the Labour Welfare Fund and the Construction Labour Welfare Fund to implement 16 different benefit schemes, including housing support and scholarships for workers' children. The two funds have a collective corpus of Rs 600 crore. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)