The Hindu : National : PLR announced for port and dock workers

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Friday, Aug 31, 2007
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PLR announced for port and dock workers

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Union government on Thursday announced in the Lok Sabha the decision to release Productivity Linked Reward for 66,000 port and dock workers for 2006-07.

Making a suo motu statement, T.R. Baalu, Minister of Shipping Road Transport & Highways, said that PLR for 2006-07 was being released by the Major Port Trusts and Dock Labour Boards to the port and dock workers, employees and of ficers on schedule in accordance with the new settlement arrived at between the Port Management and the major federations.

He informed the House that the maximum payment per employee at the rate of 20 per cent would be Rs. 6,000. This would benefit about 66,000 port and dock workers, employees and officers and the financial implications will be about Rs. 40 crore.

The expenditure on account of PLR shall be met by the Major Port Trusts and Dock Labour Boards from their own resources, without budgetary support from the Government, the Minister clarified.

Incidentally, the PLR for 2006-2007 is due for payment on or before September 1, 2007. The Indian Ports Association has made the computation of PLR for 2006-2007 as per the agreed performance parameters and methodology and the PLR percentage is arrived at 21.38 per cent, subject to the maximum ceiling of 20 per cent.

Since the port and dock workers of major ports and dock labour boards are not covered by the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, they were being paid PLR instead. From 1994-95, they were paid PLR on the basis of a Memorandum of Settlement dated February 8, 1996 between the Management of Major Port Trusts and Labour Federations of Port and Dock Workers under the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947. Under the scheme, the PLR was paid up to 2001-02.

A new PLR scheme was evolved by the Indian Ports Association in consultation with Major Federations of Port and Dock Workers. Under the new Scheme, there are three parameters — average turn round time of ships with weightage of 30 per cent, average ship berth day output with weightage of 35 per cent and unit cost of handling with weightage of 35 per cent. The government approved on 8.2.2007 the new PLR scheme for the period 2002-03 to 2009-10.

Elaborating, the Minister said a new settlement was signed between the Port Management and Federations on the new PLR Scheme on 10.4.2007.

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