Date:10/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/10/stories/2009011054540300.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Container strike enters fourth day

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Container trailer strike at Kochi Port continued for the fourth day on Friday after a discussion between Cochin Port Trust authorities and owners of container trailer owners failed to throw up a solution to the dispute between the Port Trust and trailer owners regarding the parking fee imposed by the Port from Sunday.

The Port Trust has stuck to its stand that container trailers parked in the Port premises for more than six hours should pay the stipulated parking fee — Rs. 15 per hour for 40-foot containers and Rs. 10 per hour for 20-foot containers.

The trailer operators called off their services on Tuesday in protest against imposition of the parking fee. V. P. Chandrashekharan, Secretary of Cochin Container Carrier Owners’ Welfare Association, said that the strike would go on as the container trailer lorry operators were not ready to pay the fee.

Talks ruled out

Earlier, the Port Trust authorities had ruled out any negotiations as the issues related to imposition of parking fees was discussed at length before it was introduced last Sunday.

The Port Trust has made it clear that haphazard parking of container trailers, presence of unauthorised vehicles etc were posing a security threat.

Under the current threat perceptions, disorderly parking and free use of Port premises should be ended, said a spokesman for the Cochin Port Trust on Friday.

The increasing number of trailers on port premises have also caused accidents in the past, the spokesman said.

However, the container trailer lorry owners feel that they should not be penalised for the delays in loading and unloading operations.