The members of national coordination committee have announced an indefinite strike across the nation from August 28 demanding immediate settlement of pay revision and allowances. The demand includes pensionary benefits with effect from January 2022 as the last settlement had expired on December 2021.
A decision to this effect was taken at the end of the two-day meeting held at V.O.C. Port in Thoothukudi.
The All India Port and Dock Workers’ Federation president P.M. Mohammed Haneef, general secretary G.M. Krishnamoorthy said the Ministry of Shipping had constituted a bipartite wage negotiation committee (BWNC) to discuss the demands in March 2021.
Even after 31 months, the committee could not arrive at any conclusion despite meeting seven times. Blaming the Ministry for the roadblock, the members said the illogical and illegal guidelines imposed by the government were unprecedented in the history of previous settlements.
The issues to be discussed and settled include revision of pay scales, fitment benefits, protection of existing benefits, implementation of previous settlements, neutralisation of DA and payment of arrears.
Because of the lethargic attitude of the Ministry, labour unrest appeared to be mounting in the major ports with regard to the productivity linked reward (bonus), they claimed. The employees were due for bonus every year during festival seasons beginning September. As the previous settlement expired in 2020, they had signed a fresh MoU for a five year period from 2020-21.
As per the MoU, the federations and the management had to execute a statutory settlement in this regard and forward it to the Ministry for its approval. As there had been no approval from the Ministry, the settlement could not be signed yet. Therefore, the PLR was not given to the employees.
From 2020-21 and 2022-23, the employees of the major ports were paid advance towards productivity linked reward. For the employees, who retired during the above period, the port managements withheld the advance amount from their retirement benefits.
Replaced
The Indian Major Ports Act 1963 was replaced by Major Port Authorities Act 2021. Stating that it was being replaced only to give more autonomy to the port operations, the government amended. However, in reality the entire autonomy of major ports had gone and it had been centralised with the Ministry.
In a nutshell, the main activity of the new Board was limited to outsourcing of the port activities.
The office-bearers further said industrial relations in the major ports were in a pathetic situation. There had been no discussion with the Ministry and the Labour Federations on port related matters during the last five years, while in the past, there used to be meetings every three months and issues were sorted out.
Thus, due to undue delay in wage revision, PLR payments, non-implementation of statutory settlements, curtailment of trade union rights and privileges, strike had been called.
Apart from the Dock Workers’ Federation, members from the Water Transport Workers’ Federation of India, Indian National Port and Dock Workers’ Federation and among others also participated in the meeting.
