News

                   NEW DELHI, NOV 29: THE all-India strilk call given by the port and dock workers’ unions after December 15 in support of their various demands may be averted following the Port authorities’ willingness  to hold talks at the earliest, Mr A. Janardhana Rao. Managing Director of Indian Ports Assoication (IPA)  and Convenor of the Bipartite WageNegotiation Committee (BWNC), said.

         Five federations, representing over 60,000 workers of 12 Major Ports, had  called for an indefinite strike  after December 1, claiming terms which were agreed earlier at a BWNC meeting on October 31 have not been adhered to.

        Mr Manohar Bellani, Secretary of the All India Port and Dock workers Federation, said, “Payment of arrears on allowances to workers are pending since January  2007. Three years have passed since negotiations have started. The managements are now saying that they would make payments on allowances prospectively, which is not acceptable to us.”

           The federations are also opposing the managements proposal of a minimum monthly pay of Rs 7,500. as against Rs 8,200 negotiated at a meeting convened by the Shipping Minister in early September.

             Mr S. K. Shetye, General Secretary of the All India Port  and Dock Workers’ Federation, elaborated, “The BWNC  has held 23 meetings in these three years and an understanding was reached in September when the unions agreed to a 23 per cent wage hike over basic pay, instead of the 34 per cent demanded earlier,”

              The five unions are the All India Port and Dock Workers’ Federation, the All India port  and Dock Workers’ Federation (Workers), the Water Transport Workers’ Federation of India, the Port and Dock Waterfornt Workers’ Federation of India and the Indian National Port and Dock Workers’ Federation.