Port workers call off strike

NEW DELHI, JAN.22. The five-day old strike by port and dock workers at 11 major ports in the country was called off on Saturday night, following a written assurance by the Surface Transport Minister, Mr. Rajnath Singh, to settle pending wage related issues, trade union leaders said.

The strike had been withdrawn with immediate effect, Mr. S. R. Kulkarni, president, All India Port and Dock Workers Federation told presspersons after a marathon meeting.

Mr. Rajnath Singh said he had assured the unions to consider their demands `sympathetically.' Mr. Singh also assured that the contentious demands of the unions for retaining wage revision period at five years and giving arrears on house rent allowance (HRA) from January one, 1998, would be taken up at the `appropriate level' before March 31.

Regarding house rent allowance, the workers can either opt for the existing rates arrived at the last wage settlement or the new rates announced by the Government, Mr. Kulkarni said.

If the existing rate of HRA was chosen, the maximum ceiling limits would be raised to Rs. 2400, Rs. 2000, Rs. 1500 and Rs. 1000 in place of present ceiling of Rs. 1200, Rs. 1000, Rs. 600 and Rs. 400.

At present, the HRA rate for Mumbai and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust's have been fixed at 30 per cent of basic pay while for Chennai and Calcutta ports have 25 per cent, Visakhapatnam and Cochin (17.5 Per cent), Kandla, Mangalore, Tuticorin and Goa (15 per cent), and Paradip and Haldia (10 per cent).

On the other hand, the Government has offered port workers of Mumbai, JNPT, Chennai, Calcutta a HRA of 30 per cent without any ceiling while Visakhapatnam and Cochin ports have been offered 15 per cent without ceiling.

For all other major ports, the HRA would be ten per cent without ceiling.

Earlier in the day, port operations continued to be suspended in the Calcutta Port and Haldia Dock System on the fifth day of the all-India port and dock workers' strike today, even as the port authorities claimed normal work at the jetties in the riverpoint.

The Calcutta Port Trust (CPT) sources said that five of the seven ships berthed at the riverpoint jetties at Sagar, Diamond Harbour, Sandheads and Kulpi, unloaded cargo during the day. However, normal loading and unloading operations remained totally stalled in the Calcutta dock system where 10 ships were still berthed.

Lock gate and tug operations in the Calcutta Port and Haldia Dock System were being maintained by the navy personnel, the CPT sources said.

One oil tanker discharged 4,500 tonnes of high speed diesel (HSD) at the Budge oil terminal and sailed out, the sources said.

Picketing by striking workers continued in front of the Calcutta Port and Haldia Dock System, but no untoward incident was reported.

In a significant move, the Murmogoa Port Trust moved the Panjim Bench of Bombay High Court yesterday, seeking to declare the strike illegal, official sources said.

- PTI, UNI

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