Port, dock workers' unions defer indefinite strike proposed from 28 August

Port and dock workers' unions of major ports have deferred their indefinite strike proposed from Wednesday, 28 August, official sources said on Tuesday, 27 August.

The decision came after an agreement between representatives of workers' unions and ports management on workers' demands at a marathon meeting in the national capital on Tuesday, they said.

At a national coordination committee meeting in Tuticorn (Tamil Nadu) on 8 August, major port workers' unions affiliated to five federations decided to go on an indefinite strike from 28 August to press for immediate wage revision and other benefits, pending for nearly 32 months.

Subsequently, strike notices were served by the unions to administrators of the respective ports on 12 August.

"The federations have agreed to postpone the proposed strike from August 28," a top port official said.

As part of the agreement, the fitment benefit of 8.5 per cent on the aggregate amount of basic pay as on 31 December, 2021, plus 30 per cent cent VDA as on 1 January, 2022, will be given, the official said.

There are around 20,000 permanent port and dock workers employed over 12 major ports.

The workers' unions are affiliated to five federations -- All India Port and Dock Workers' Federation, All India Port and Dock Workers Federation (workers), Water Transport Workers Federation of India, Indian National Port and Dock Workers Federation and Port, Dock and Waterfront Workers Federation of India.

Sources at the India Port and Dock Workers' Federation (workers) had last week said the major port operators and the federations were to sign a five-year wage revision agreement prior to the expiry of the earlier wage pact on 31 December, 2021.

The shipping ministry set up a Bipartite Wage Negotiations Committee comprising representatives of port management and federations in March 2021.

The committee is headed by Mumbai Port Authority Chairman Rajeev Jalota.

Though the Bipartite Wage Negotiations Committee met seven times during the past 32 months, it could not reach an agreement with the federations.