Port workers to launch nation-wide stir

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, MAY 11. An executive committee meeting of the All India Port and Dock Workers Federation has decided to launch a nation- wide agitation jointly with other four sister federations against the "anti-labour" policies of the port managements at the instance of the Ministry of Surface Transport and the Indian Ports Association (IPA).

The president of the All India Port and Dock Workers Federation, Mr. S.R. Kulkarni, said that consequent upon the five-day nation- wide dock strike in January last year, the port managements and the representatives of the five major federations of port and dock workers arrived at an amicable settlement under the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act before the regional labour commissioner at Mumbai in August last.

However, while implementing the terms of settlement, the port managements, presumably at the instruction of the Ministry of Surface Transport, had not implemented several terms of the settlement or have misinterpreted the terms of settlement unilaterally though the settlement was a bipartite one. He condemned the action of the IPA and the Ministry of Surface Transport in "illegally" suspending the LTC facility admissible to the port and dock workers, violating the terms of the settlement. Some of the port authorities, including the Mumbai Port Trust, have decided not to take into account the HRA element (which is used to calculate overtime under the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act) for other benefits,. This is not only a violation of the law but also a breach of the settlement, he alleged.

Due to the introduction of VRS imposed by the port managements, thousands of posts which are essential for efficient and smooth operation are being left vacant. The port authorities have not filled the vacant posts by giving promotions, barring the prospects of promotion opportunities to several categories of port and dock workers, he alleged. Consequent on rolling back the age of retirement, 7,000 vacancies including promotional posts have not been filled, he said. Work of perennial nature is being given to contractors in violation of the law, Mr. Kulkarni alleged.

The Central Government has not evolved a rational port and shipping policy as a result of which several services rendered by the ports are being handed over to the private sector, including international shipping cartels.

Within the radius of six nautical miles across Mumbai harbour more major ports are being commissioned as a result of which the traffic of the MPT, including container traffic, is being diverted to these ports.

Similarly, all mainline container vessels except one are being diverted to the Gujarat region where several major ports are coming up, rendering several thousands of workers in the east and west coast underemployed and, in some cases, unemployed, Mr. Kulkarni said.

The Government has decided to abolish some of the dock labour boards, which is prohibited under the Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, including the amendments made thereof, he said. He warned all concerned that if anti-labour policies including privatisation is allowed by the Government, the existing unrest among the port and dock workers will end in a nation-wide industrial action by all the five recognised federations of port and dock workers.

Mr. P.M. Mohammed Haneef, general secretary of the federation based in Kochi, said that the representatives of the five major federations would meet and chalk out a programme of action on a nation-wide basis to protect the legitimate interests of the port and dock workers and also to force the port managements to properly implement the terms of various settlements, including the All India Settlement of 1994.

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