From Rubiya Shaikh
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Sep 22: Goa`s mining major V M Salgaoncar and Bro Pvt Ltd (VMSB), will adopt smoke – free work place policy banning consumption of tobacco products in all its premises including mining offices from October one onwards.
Salgaoncar national title winning football team will also be covered under this policy, officials said.
"To ensure that we keep up the policy, company`s all the future recruitments will have priority to the non smokers", VSMB`s General Manager G B Halkar said.
The Rs. 1,500 crore turnover group became the second one in the state to implement no smoking policy. Dempo group of companies, who also owns mines and a football team – Dempo Sports Club – had implemented the policy on August 15 this year.
"Anti – tobacco non government organization (NGO) National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) had approached us with the request to make workplace smoke free. We gave thought to their suggestions and decided to implement this policy", Halkar said.
The policy will cover VMSB`s seven mining offices and head office at Goa`s port town of Vasco, he said.
Going a step further, the company has also banned contractors, visitors and customers from smoking within the office premises.
The company which has 2,600 direct employees, of which one thousand are on iron ore mines, has taken the labour unions into confidence while implementing the policy.
Two labour unions – Goa Mining Welfare Unioin and Kangarancho Ekvott – has given their assent to this policy .
Salgaoncar`s head office which employs 220 people has ten employees who are chain smokers while 35 out one thousand employees on various mines are in habit of smoking, Halkar disclosed.
"This is a welcome step. We admire the way two of these giants – Salgaoncars and Dempo – have agreed to our requests", Dr Shekhar Salkar, General Secretary, NOTE reacted.
He said that other industrial firms are also approached with the request to implement smoke free workplace policy as Prohibition of Smoking in public places Rules, 2008 will come in force from October two, 2008.