Re: [Goanet] Complaint to Goa Union of Journalists over denial of maternity leave to a young woman employee in her last stage of pregnancy
On Tue, 11/4/14, Jose Colaco wrote: FINAL RESPONSE from me to Mervyn Lobo on this matter - until something totally new comes up. Missing is mention of The (EDD) Expected Date of Delivery OR a medical note from the young lady's obstetrician. Once you read the relevant statute, I am sure you will agree with meor May be not! -- jc, I am not sure why you need to bar yourself - and also leave a clause open so that you can re-enter. Anyways, this case is about tomorrow, not 1961. Something totally new will definitely come up so you will have ample opportunity, time and again, to opine us on this matter. To reply to your point though, the Herald does (or does not) have the expected date of delivery. Either way, it chooses to keep mum. Its employee chose - to leave. Secondly, I have no desire to agree or disagree with anyone. I am quite satisfied with pointing out what I see. Lastly, I am look forward to your sprightly return to this mater :-) Mervyn
Re: [Goanet] Complaint to Goa Union of Journalists over denial of maternity leave to a young woman employee in her last stage of pregnancy
On Nov 3, 2014, at 10:33 PM, Mervyn Lobo mervynal...@yahoo.ca wrote: The Herald has been receiving copies of these posts/emails. I have made my statement. You have made yours. The two journalist have made theirs. What is missing? FINAL RESPONSE from me to Mervyn Lobo on this matter - until something totally new comes up. Missing is mention of The (EDD) Expected Date of Delivery OR a medical note from the young lady's obstetrician. Once you read the relevant statute, I am sure you will agree with meor May be not! jc
Re: [Goanet] Complaint to Goa Union of Journalists over denial of maternity leave to a young woman employee in her last stage of pregnancy
Jose Colaco wrote: 6: Would you NOT like to base your judgement on ALL the facts of the case? -- Doc,Not one, but two of my favourite journalist in Goa have pass their judgment on this case. Now they are doing what they do best i.e. reporting it. My job (and yours?) is to give them moral support. Without that, exploiters will carry on disregarding the law(s). Mervyn
Re: [Goanet] Complaint to Goa Union of Journalists over denial of maternity leave to a young woman employee in her last stage of pregnancy
Perhaps, ducking the other relevant points on this matter, Mervyn Lobo quoted the following from me to him: 6: Would you NOT like to base your judgement on ALL the facts of the case? Mervyn Lobo then responded thus: Doc,Not one, but two of my favourite journalist in Goa have pass their judgment on this case. Now they are doing what they do best i.e. reporting it. My job (and yours?) is to give them moral support. Without that, exploiters will carry on disregarding the law(s). RESPONSE: Mogal Mervyn, Some years ago, based solely on newspaper reports, I joined many others and rushed to judge the Goa College of Architecture chaps who were accused of rape. I was wrong and use this opportunity to, once again, remind myself that I was wrong.and never to do it again. Since then, I absolutely refuse to carte blanche accept the words of journos or anybody else without placing it through a sieve. As far as I am concerned, I have NOT seen ALL the facts of this case. Until I see them, IF I give any support to ANY side, it will hardly be classifiable as MORAL. You, Mayabhushan, Devika Sequeira, the employee and the Herald are welcome to enlighten us with the facts of this case: 1: What is the exact meaning of the term the last stage of pregnancy? 2: Was the Maternal Benefits Act (1961) violated? 3: Was legal opinion sought? Was the Herald taken to court for violation of any statute? 4: If the DENIAL is not within 6 weeks of EDD (expected date of delivery), was there a note from the young lady's obstetrician? REPEAT: IF the young lady was legally eligible for maternity leave and was denied that leave, The Herald better find a good lawyer and keep some funds in escrow. The ones who made the decision also better look for another job (if somebody will hire them) The question of import is: The expected date of delivery PN: I am going to ignore the Gender (Gendre) Bias bit until you explain to me if it is applicable in this case and why. Until that occurs, I will consider it emotional exuberance. jc
Re: [Goanet] Complaint to Goa Union of Journalists over denial of maternity leave to a young woman employee in her last stage of pregnancy
On Mon, 11/3/14, Jose Colaco cola...@gmail.com wrote: You, Mayabhushan, Devika Sequeira, the employee and the Herald are welcome to enlighten us with the facts of this case: 1: What is the exact meaning of the term the last stage of pregnancy? 2: Was the Maternal Benefits Act (1961) violated? 3: Was legal opinion sought? Was the Herald taken to court for violation of any statute? 4: If the DENIAL is not within 6 weeks of EDD (expected date of delivery), was there a note from the young lady's obstetrician? REPEAT: IF the young lady was legally eligible for maternity leave and was denied that leave, The Herald better find a good lawyer and keep some funds in escrow. The ones who made the decision also better look for another job (if somebody will hire them) - Doc Colaco, Thanks for continuing to keep this in the public eye. Since I do not own any shares of the Herald, it does not matter too much to me how adversely the Harold gets affected by this case. Hopefully, everyone concerned with the media will be observing and making their own conclusions on how well those managing the paper, treat their employees. Also, of importance, is the change that may happen to other companies that operate in a similiar maner. The Herald has been receiving copies of these posts/emails. I have made my statement. You have made yours. The two journalist have made theirs. What is missing? Mervyn
Re: [Goanet] Complaint to Goa Union of Journalists over denial of maternity leave to a young woman employee in her last stage of pregnancy
Folks,Any publication that wants to be believed has to set high standards for its staff. When a publication publishes one set of values and practices another, all it is doing is saying to its readers, go elsewhere. Or we do what we want here and are not willing to follow minimum standards of decency. I salute Devika Sequeira. I now know which journalist in Goa has principles. Mervyn - ??? has applied for leave without pay (since you insisted the organisation does not have maternity leave) and followed all the official procedures in consultation with the HR department who told her how to go about taking leave for the delivery of her baby. Her application was sent well on time. Are you saying an employee who is about to deliver a child and is the last stages of her pregnancy should come to office? Your attitude is gendre-biased and shocking to say the least. Devika Sequeira Editor-Magazines On 18 October 2014 11:17, GM Operations g...@herald-goa.com wrote: Dear Devika, In the first instant our company does not have a provision for granting maternity leave for long periods. It has never ever been granted to any one in the past. Hence your approval for ?? leave stands null and void. Further more we are not in a position to provide any replacements for the Review magazine at this moment. Michael. On 17 October 2014 12:56, Devika Sequeira devikaseque...@gmail.com wrote: To GM, Herald Publications Oct 17, 2014 Dear Michael, You will recall Zarine Ahmed who used to work here earlier as a reporter/ features writer. Zarine was a good reporter and diligent in her work but had to leave over some health complications. She is now much better and wants to return to work in the Herald and would make a good temporary replacement for ?? who is on maternity leave till May. Zarine would like to join Herald Review from now till June after which she wants to study for a year to do the BEd degree. I hope you agree to take her on. regards Devika
Re: [Goanet] Complaint to Goa Union of Journalists over denial of maternity leave to a young woman employee in her last stage of pregnancy
Mogal Mervyn, My two cents based (solely) on the info made availablethus far 1: IF the expected day of delivery was within 6 weeks from the date of Going Off on Leave OR IF the young ladies' obstetrician had provided a medical certificate recommending bed rest/ reduced activity etc, the HERALD would be in the wrong (and in violation of the Maternity Benefits Act 1961) 2: IF NOT, please advise me WHY you believe the Herald is in the wrong? 3: HOW is the Herald decision - gender biased? 4: On the face of it, there is a TINY but IMPORTANT difference between what the HERALD wrote and what Sequeira noted. Please vide Appendix infra BTW: I believe that IF internal email has to be publicly made available, it should be referred to accurately. Do you disagree? jc Appendix: (1) GM Operations to Devika Sequeira: In the first instant our company does not have a provision for granting MATERNITY LEAVE FOR LONG PERIODS. (2) Devika Sequeira to GM: (.) you insisted the organisation DOES NOT HAVE MATERNITY LEAVE On Nov 1, 2014, at 9:08 PM, Mervyn Lobo mervynal...@yahoo.ca wrote: Folks,Any publication that wants to be believed has to set high standards for its staff. When a publication publishes one set of values and practices another, all it is doing is saying to its readers, go elsewhere. Or we do what we want here and are not willing to follow minimum standards of decency. I salute Devika Sequeira. I now know which journalist in Goa has principles. Mervyn - ??? has applied for leave without pay (since you insisted the organisation does not have maternity leave) and followed all the official procedures in consultation with the HR department who told her how to go about taking leave for the delivery of her baby. Her application was sent well on time. Are you saying an employee who is about to deliver a child and is the last stages of her pregnancy should come to office? Your attitude is gendre-biased and shocking to say the least. Devika Sequeira Editor-Magazines On 18 October 2014 11:17, GM Operations g...@herald-goa.com wrote: Dear Devika, In the first instant our company does not have a provision for granting maternity leave for long periods. It has never ever been granted to any one in the past. Hence your approval for ?? leave stands null and void. Further more we are not in a position to provide any replacements for the Review magazine at this moment. Michael. On 17 October 2014 12:56, Devika Sequeira devikaseque...@gmail.com wrote: To GM, Herald Publications Oct 17, 2014 Dear Michael, You will recall Zarine Ahmed who used to work here earlier as a reporter/ features writer. Zarine was a good reporter and diligent in her work but had to leave over some health complications. She is now much better and wants to return to work in the Herald and would make a good temporary replacement for ?? who is on maternity leave till May. Zarine would like to join Herald Review from now till June after which she wants to study for a year to do the BEd degree. I hope you agree to take her on. regards Devika
Re: [Goanet] Complaint to Goa Union of Journalists over denial of maternity leave to a young woman employee in her last stage of pregnancy
Doc,First of all, Canada has done away with cents. We do not produce nor use pennies any more. At the stores, they add up your bill and then round it off to the nearest number divisible by 5 cents. As such, you need to claim your next opinion is worth 3 cents or more, else it remains worthless ;-) What is worthy about the Herald case is that their policies so incensed an editor that she decided to resign. I have seen many a manager examine an unfair situation effecting junior staff and get repulsed. The managers then think of their mortgage, the people they have to feed at home, etc etc and decide to use blinders. It is the exceptional person that decides to take a stand. To make a change for herself and her children - else all other women who follow her will get the exact same treatment that the Herald is dishing out today. I am curious to find out if the Herald has only male subscribers. On the other hand, perhaps the Herald will soon find out for themselves i.e. when women start cancelling their subscriptions.. Mervyn Jose wrote: Mogal Mervyn, My two cents based (solely) on the info made availablethus far 1: IF the expected day of delivery was within 6 weeks from the date of Going Off on Leave OR IF the young ladies' obstetrician had provided a medical certificate recommending bed rest/ reduced activity etc, the HERALD would be in the wrong (and in violation of the Maternity Benefits Act 1961) 2: IF NOT, please advise me WHY you believe the Herald is in the wrong? 3: HOW is the Herald decision - gender biased? 4: On the face of it, there is a TINY but IMPORTANT difference between what the HERALD wrote and what Sequeira noted. Please vide Appendix infra BTW: I believe that IF internal email has to be publicly made available, it should be referred to accurately. Do you disagree? jc
Re: [Goanet] Complaint to Goa Union of Journalists over denial of maternity leave to a young woman employee in her last stage of pregnancy
On 2 November 2014 08:52, Mervyn Lobo mervynal...@yahoo.ca wrote: 1: Doc,First of all, Canada has done away with cents. We do not produce nor use pennies any more. At the stores, they add up your bill and then round it off to the nearest number divisible by 5 cents. As such, you need to claim your next opinion is worth 3 cents or more, else it remains worthless ;-) 2: What is worthy about the Herald case is that their policies so incensed an editor that she decided to resign. 3: I have seen many a manager examine an unfair situation effecting junior staff and get repulsed. The managers then think of their mortgage, the people they have to feed at home, etc etc and decide to use blinders. 4: It is the exceptional person that decides to take a stand. To make a change for herself and her children - else all other women who follow her will get the exact same treatment that the Herald is dishing out today. 5: I am curious to find out if the Herald has only male subscribers. On the other hand, perhaps the Herald will soon find out for themselves i.e. when women start cancelling their subscriptions RESPONSE Mogal Mervyn, Notwithstanding the fact that Canada no longer uses cents or that the English language was not developed in Ottawa, You make some worthy points. Accepting that you (and others) believe in the Rule of Law, I will try-concentrate your attention on to the following: 1: There is a 1961 statute (effective in Goa since 1963) which protects the rights of pregnant women. 2: Would you know IF any part of that statute was violated? 3: If it was (or perceived to have been violated), was legal advice sought and were the courts approached? 4: At this moment, solely based on the information thus far made available, I believe that (legally) it is a 50-50 situation. The Herald may be in the right or it may be in the wrong. 5: I do not know IF there are any other facts in this case. Do you? 6: Would you NOT like to base your judgement on ALL the facts of the case? jc
[Goanet] Complaint to Goa Union of Journalists over denial of maternity leave to a young woman employee in her last stage of pregnancy
Complaint to Goa Union of Journalists over denial of maternity leave to a young woman employee in her last stage of pregnancy To, Kishor Naik Gaonkar President: Goa Union of Journalists. Dear Kishor Naik Gaonkar On Friday (October 31), via Facebook post I had written about a woman employee at the Herald was denied maternity leave during her last stage of pregnancy. I had also uploaded copies of communication between Herald's Editor (Features) and the general manager Michael Pereira to corroborate the content in the post. This is an inhuman, debased action, which deserves sternest condemnation. My request to you as an organisation which is supposed to look after the welfare of the journalist community is to pursue the case to its logical conclusion. As far as I know agencies like the state Human rights commission, State Women's Commission, Labour department are the agencies which need to be complained to. You could also verify if this amounts to a criminal violation. As a collective I am sure you better disposed to follow the complaint to its logical conclusion. Kindly treat this as a formal complaint from my end. warm regards Mayabhushan -++--++--+-- Communication between Devika Sequiera and Michael Pereira -- Forwarded message -- From: Devika Sequeira devikaseque...@gmail.com Date: 18 October 2014 11:58 Subject: Re: temporary replacement To: GM Operations g...@herald-goa.com, Brand Mentor brandment...@gmail.com Mr Michael Pereira GM Herald Publications Oct 18, 2014 Dear Mr Pereira ??? has applied for leave without pay (since you insisted the organisation does not have maternity leave) and followed all the official procedures in consultation with the HR department who told her how to go about taking leave for the delivery of her baby. Her application was sent well on time. Are you saying an employee who is about to deliver a child and is the last stages of her pregnancy should come to office? Your attitude is gendre-biased and shocking to say the least. Devika Sequeira Editor-Magazines On 18 October 2014 11:17, GM Operations g...@herald-goa.com wrote: Dear Devika, In the first instant our company does not have a provision for granting maternity leave for long periods. It has never ever been granted to any one in the past. Hence your approval for ?? leave stands null and void. Further more we are not in a position to provide any replacements for the Review magazine at this moment. Michael. On 17 October 2014 12:56, Devika Sequeira devikaseque...@gmail.com wrote: To GM, Herald Publications Oct 17, 2014 Dear Michael, You will recall Zarine Ahmed who used to work here earlier as a reporter/ features writer. Zarine was a good reporter and diligent in her work but had to leave over some health complications. She is now much better and wants to return to work in the Herald and would make a good temporary replacement for ?? who is on maternity leave till May. Zarine would like to join Herald Review from now till June after which she wants to study for a year to do the BEd degree. I hope you agree to take her on. regards Devika
