Trade unions in Goa held a symbolic protest here on Friday in support of the nationwide agitation called by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha against the Centra's Agnipath military recruitment scheme.

The Goa state committee of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) led the protest held at Azad Maidan here.

Speaking to reporters, AITUC leader Raju Mangueshkar said that all central trade unions have taken note of the widespread anger and unrest seen in numerous agitations held by the youth and other sections of people across the country against the Agnipath scheme.

The scheme is designed to casualise the quality of employment in the country's armed forces through a fixed-term contract, without any pensionary benefits, post-retirement medical and other social security, he said.

AITUC general secretary Christopher Fonseca said the Agnipath scheme has dashed the hope of people who had appeared for military selection exams and were looking for stable employment in the Indian Armed Forces.

The programme will severely affect the quality of employment in the country's armed forces and will prove disastrous for its security and combative preparedness, he said.

The scheme, which was announced on June 14, seeks to recruit youngsters in the age group of 17 and a half to 21 years for a period of four years, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. For 2022, the upper age limit has been extended to 23 years.