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Mathadi workers' strike hits Navi Mumbai trade

Our Bureau

MUMBAI, Jan. 4

BUSINESS at the commodities market in Navi Mumbai has been affected following an indefinite strike by mathadi workers from January 1, 2001.

Nearly 1,500 wholesale traders at the Navi Mumbai market, which is one of the major APMC markets in the country, are perturbed over the sudden and illegal strike.

The Mathadi Union, belonging to The Maharashtra Rajya, Mathadi, Transport and General Kamgar Union, has resorted to the indefinite strike on the issue of payment of dearness allowance (DA) with effect from November 1, 2000.

The number of Mathadi workers allotted by the Grocery Board to APMC, Navi Mumbai, has been reduced to 2,000 from 3,500. The traders of Navi Mumbai dealing in agricultural commodities such as grains, pulses, sugar and spices have now been forced to pay th e Hamali (labour) charges almost three to five times than those prevailing in other metropolitan cities and neighbouring trading centres such as Pune, Nagpur and Thane.

This sort of disparity and the high wage structure associated with other problems being faced by the business community has led to a gradual decline in the overall trading at Navi Mumbai. Trading volumes had fallen by about 30 to 80 per cent in different commodities, Mr Mohan Gurnani, Chairman, Navi Mumbai Merchants' Chamber (NMMC), said in a press meet held here on Thursday.

NMMC represented 17 trade associations dealing in various agriculture commodities at Navi Mumbai. The business community had requested the State Government to convene a meeting which was to be held under his chairmanship on January 2 to end the strike at its earliest. However, the mathadi union leaders were adamant in their demand and refused to budge on payment of DA, he said.

Mr Ashok Bharani, joint secretary of the Grains, Rice and Oilseeds Merchants Association (GROMA), said traders at Navi Mumbai had adequate stock of foodgrains and were willing to supply these essential commodities to Mumbai city, if adequate labour, secu rity and protection were provided to them.