Margao Municipal Council looks to install biometric attendance system

The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) in the Indian state of Goa has decided to implement a biometric workforce management system next week.

MMC has made this announcement earlier, though plans were stalled following objections raised by union representing MMC emplyoees.

According to a report in the Times of India, during a meeting between MMC and the Goa Municipal Workers’ Union, it was determined that the system would be implemented, as the workers welcome any move to maintain discipline, though any grievances must be rectified.

MMC chief officer Sandhya Kamat said she would give employees until the end of this week to voice complaints and that by Monday of next week, should would reply to grievances and come to an amicable agreement on how to work around them.

“There are small grievances and if we are satisfied that these problems can be solved, then we will post no objection. However, if they can’t, then we will continue to hold deliberations with the authorities,” Union representative Keshav Prabhu said.

According to the Times report, grievances include questions over discipline for lateness, as well as instances where leaving early or arriving late are necessary for employees.

Biometric time and attendance systems, such as the proposed system at MMC are increasingly being deployed, though these systems are often met with frustration and anger.

Reported previously in BiometricUpdate.com, teachers in government schools in India’s Andhra Pradesh have threatened to strike against a proposed attendance system.

In Nigeria, there has long been discussion around the implementation of biometric workforce management systems in the country’s hotels, following the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation’s plans to create an electronic database of all hotel staff, in an attempt to cut back crime in the hospitality sector. Recently, Nigerian hotel owners came out backing the NTDC’s decision.

Article Topics

authentication  |  biometric database  |  biometrics  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  fingerprint scanner  |  government  |  workforce management