Indian port workers to launch strike from September 1st 2007
It is reported that the affiliated unions of the 5 recognized federations of port and dock workers have decided to launch nationwide strike at all major ports from September 1st 2007 or any day thereafter in support of their long pending demands. Mr SR Kulkarni president of All India Port & Dock Workers' Federation had earlier said that notice of the indefinite strike would be given to the port managements on August 16th 2007.
As per report, labor unions have served notices at Kandla, Mangalore, Chennai, Vizag and Haldia. Further course of action shall be known on August 28th 2007.
All India Port & Dock Workers' Federation has listed the following demands of the port and dockworkers
- Restoration of retirement age to 60 years
- Merger of 50% dearness allowance with pay with effect from April 1st 2005
- Interim relief at INR 1,000 per month to the workers including pensioners with retrospective effect from January 1st 2007
- Filling up of vacancies including promotional vacancies
- Regular or perennial jobs should not be contracted out or outsourced
- Major Ports should not be turned into corporates
- Reject the retrograde recommendations of the respective consultants monitored by the port of Rotterdam experts
Mr Kulkarni pointed out that these issues had been pending with the union government for a long time and that there had been no response to the representations made by the senior leaders of the federations to the minister of shipping and labor minister to intervene in the matter. He alleged that union government is adopting a discriminatory policy towards port and dock workers by not raising their retirement age to 60 years at a time when it had authorized the retirement age of employees in public sector undertakings to be enhanced to 60 years and was also considering increasing the age of retirement of central government employees from 60 years to 62.
Mr Kulkarni highlighted that "All the major ports were making profits and did not depend upon any budgetary support from the government. Under these circumstances, the federations had been left with no option but to direct their affiliates to issue strike notices on August 16th 2007 and mobilize the workers to launch a nationwide strike with effect from September 1st 2007."
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