Trailer owners withdraw strike

Port users agree to pay higher charges

 

Container trailers in north Chennai on Thursday called off their strike after two port-user associations agreed to pay higher hire fares.

Around 3,000 trailers attached to 14 owner’s associations and catering to three ports, including Chennai Port, had gone on strike since Monday.

P. Gopinath of the All-Sea Ports Trailer Owners’ Consortium said the strike had been called not just based on increase in diesel prices but also due to increase in related costs like fitness certificate fees, spare parts and third-party insurance premium.

Talks were held between various stakeholders, senior police officials and Revenue department officials.

Mr. Gopinath said the last time an increase was given in hire charges, it was decreased after a few months. “The last time, they used their own vehicles to move containers and did not give us business. When we asked them, they offered us lesser rates and forced our hands to either take it or stay without work. We don’t want a repeat of that,” he said.

A port user said the backlog can be cleared in about four days. “From Monday we will be getting bigger vessels and we will be ready by then for those,” he noted.