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Additional pool of 200 workers for fertilizer-filling operations

KOCHI: The Island local committee of the Kerala Headload Workers’ Welfare Board is set to formally approve of a decision to form an additional pool of around 200 workers for fertilizer-filling operations on the Cochin port premises.

According to Labour Department sources, the decision comes in the wake of a ‘go-slow’ action launched by pool workers engaged in filling fertilizers — this time imported urea, for despatch by Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT) to various parts of Kerala and neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The ‘go-slow’ action has resulted in about 12,000 tonnes of urea pending in godowns. This is worrying to FACT because there is limited storage facility in the port fertilizer godowns and since another shipment of urea, about 27,000 tonnes, is expected on Monday.

A second shipment of urea is expected by December-end, a FACT official said on Thursday. Under normal circumstances, a gang of 10 workers bag around 75 tonnes of urea.

If eight to ten gangs operate, nearly 1,000 tonnes of the fertilizer is bagged daily.

However, with the ‘go-slow’ action, only about 50 tonnes of the fertilizer is bagged daily.

There are around 230 workers in the current fertilizer operation pool.

However, only around 70 workers come to work on a regular basis as many of them are from the neighbouring districts of Thrissur and Alappuzha. According to the Labour Department sources, the pool workers have resorted to the action in protest against a delay in settling a new wage agreement with the company that is the clearing and forwarding agent for imported fertilizers.

Department official said the pool workers’ action was a clear breach of labour conditions and that conveners of the pools had been issued show-cause notices.

Workers belonging to the Cochin Thuramugha Thozhilali Union (CTTU) and the Cochin Port Labour Union (CPLU), affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, are involved in the protest action, it is learnt.

A trade union leader conceded that the pool workers had not consulted their trade unions before the action was taken. However, the trade union spokesperson expressed optimism that the problem would be solved within this week.

The current bout of protest might send wrong signals to Kochi port users, sources said, making a clear example of the neighbouring port of Tuticorin which is facing congestion largely because of diversion of cargo from Kochi.

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