Minister for Ports Kadannappally Ramachandran will soon convene a meeting to break the stalemate over the loading of containers on ships at the Beypore port.
The container movement at the port had come to a halt recently after labourers refused to load and unload cargo from ships anchored there, seeking better wages. District Collector U.V. Jose managed to broker truce only after holding three meetings with the stakeholders. The labourers relented after they were told that their demands would be discussed at a meeting attended by the Minister.
Port officer Ashwani Prathap told The Hindu that the unloading of containers in ships at the port started on Monday. “The labourers had insisted they will only load or unload containers from ships that have already anchored. They will attend to new arrivals only after the discussion with the Minister,” he said.
Mr. Prathap said the meeting would be held in the next couple of days.
The dispute arose after stevedores’ demand for better wages was declined by the companies that handle moving of cargo. The companies claimed that the wage at Beypore was much higher than what is being charged at other ports. However, employees stuck to their argument that the expenditure incurred by the companies while loading and unloading cargo through ports was much lower than the amount they would have spent had they brought it over road. That profit could be adjusted against the increased wages for the labourers, the unions had claimed.
