The closure of Cargo Handling Private Workers’ Pool of Visakhapatnam port from June 30 may take some more time following an order issued by the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the States of Telangana and AP. The pool formed 22 years ago following an initiative by the Ministry of Shipping to supply private workers to hand agents and stevedores for unloading thermal coal. With mechanisation nearing completion for handling thermal coal, the pool management had declared the closure by May-end and later put it off by a month on a plea by a section of pool workers.
On a petition filed by the Visakhapatnam DLB and Dock Workers’ Union and pool workers D. Appa Rao, Ch. Bangari, V. Satti Raju, Chalapa Mutyalu, and P. Ramana, the court on Tuesday issued notices before admission to VPT and three other respondents returnable in four weeks.
“In the meanwhile, the fifth respondent – Cargo Handling Private Workers’ Pool represented by its president K.V. Krishna Kumar -- is restricted from engaging any workers for the work that is being performed by the petitioners till today,” the order stated.
