The officers on the ships run by the Lakshadweep Development Corporation Limited (LDCL) on Wednesday called off their ‘non-cooperation’ agitation following a compromise worked out by the principal officer of the Mercantile Marine Department with the manning agencies and the Seafarers Confederation of India.
However, functionaries of the LDCL did not attend the talks.
K.S. Anil Kumar, president of the Seafarers Confederation, told The Hindu that it was agreed at the talks that the salaries and allowances paid by the Shipping Corporation of India to the officers on its ships would be paid to the LDCL marine officers too. The LDCL ship officers had for several months been pressing for this demand. The non-cooperation agitation had started on October 12.
Mr. Anil Kumar alleged that a senior LDCL functionary’s inexperience in running mercantile marine operations and adamant attitude had forced the marine officers into the agitation. He had summarily terminated the services of 95 officers recently when they had gone on a peaceful agitation. Though most of them had been reinstated, six were yet to be taken back.
The confederation, affiliated to Bharat Mazdoor Sangh, denied the LDCL claim that the cancellation of m.v. Amin Divi’s journey was because of the officers’ agitation. The cancellation had been caused by as the air-conditioning system and the toilets had gone faulty. The LDCL welfare officer had served a notice that the ships could sail only after these faults were attended to.
The confederation alleged that sheer incompetence and irresponsible attitude of the LDCL management had created such a situation. The marine workshops in Kochi had refused to take up repairs of the LDCL ships as the management had failed to pay their dues.
