Unpaid workers threaten to self-immolate

Margao: Around 22 workers employed in a unit at the Cuncolim industrial estate on Tuesday threatened to self-immolate as they were not paid their wages for the last three months. Police intervention later diffused the crisis.

Sources said the affected labourers were working under a labour contractor. They told reporters that as the labour contractor whom they were working for had not paid them their wages for the last three months they were starving and had no other means to survive.

"We buy rations on credit for some time. Now the shop owner is insisting on payment. So we decided to immolate ourselves in front of the factory," the workers said.

Cuncolim police dispersed the workers from the site, assuring them of tracking down the labour contractor.