Port workers threaten to go on indefinite strike from Monday

January 02, 2010 04:07 pm | Updated 04:08 pm IST - Mumbai

A file picture of a deserted container terminal at Chennai Port Trust during a workers strike in 2000. Photo: Bijoy Ghosh.

A file picture of a deserted container terminal at Chennai Port Trust during a workers strike in 2000. Photo: Bijoy Ghosh.

Five federations of major ports in the country have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from Monday, if the talks with Indian Ports Association (IPA), scheduled that day, fails to resolve the contentious issues.

“We have decided to go ahead with the proposed indefinite strike from Monday if the meeting with IPA fails to find a solution to our demands,” All India Port & Dock Workers Federation, President, S R Kulkarni told PTI.

The strike, which would involve 6,000 port and dockworkers across 12 major ports in the country, was called to press the workers’ demand relating to wage revision.

The stir is also feared to result in Rs 1,000 crore revenue loss for the Government per day, besides causing issues on the supply in the domestic market and inflation in commodity prices.

A meeting between Federations and the Indian Ports Association held on January 1 in the presence of Chief Labour Commissioner ended inconclusively.

The five Federations, which have threatened the strike from Monday include INTUC, HMS, AITUC and CITU affiliated federations.

Over the past three years, these federations have held nearly 24 rounds of discussions with the IPA but failed to resolve the contentious issues, Mr. Kulkarni said.

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