Date:07/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/12/07/stories/2004120702640300.htm

Back Port workers defer strike

P. Manoj

New Delhi , Dec. 6

THE Indian Ports Association (IPA) and the leaders of the five federations for workers have agreed to a compromise formula suggested by the Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC) here in Delhi on Monday.This is to help avert a planned strike by the port and dock workers from Wednesday at major ports on the issue of payment of productivity-linked rewards (PLR).

The five federations have decided to defer their proposed strike from Wednesday to December 15 when the governing body of the IPA is slated to meet in Kandla to consider and ratify the proposal, Mr M. L. Bellani, Secretary, All India Port and Dock Workers' Federation, told Business Line.

While the federations wanted the continuation of the uniform 20 per cent PLR to be paid to workers at all the major ports, the Government had sought to revise the PLR scheme, which ould result in the PLR averaging from 11 per cent to 18 per cent at different ports depending upon the productivity and performance parameters.