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| Photo Credit: Prashant Nakwe
Port and dock workers’ unions of major ports have deferred their indefinite strike proposed from Wednesday (August 28, 2024), official sources said on Tuesday (August 27, 2024).
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 August 8, major port workers’ unions affiliated to five federations decided to go on an indefinite strike from August 28 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 August 12.
Following the strike call, the managing director of the Indian Ports’ Association (IPA) invited the federations to attend a meeting of the Bipartite Wage Negotiations Committee (BWNC) on August 27 and 28.
“The Chairman BWNC and MD, IPA held discussions with the federation leaders [BWNC members also] and after having elaborate discussions a memorandum of understanding reached between the Chairman of BWNC and MD, IPA with six federations of port and dock workers of major ports. Considering the move… the six federations agreed to defer the proposed strike from August 28,” a source said.
The six federations are — 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.
The affiliates of six federations at major ports had been in prolonged discussions demanding settlement of revision of wage structure and other service conditions, including pensioner benefits with effect from January 1, 2022.
As part of the MoU, the fitment benefit of 8.5% on the aggregate amount of basic pay as on December 31, 2021, plus 30% cent VDA as on January 1, 2022, will be given.
Besides, it was also agreed upon that a special allowance of ₹500 per month will be given for the working employees during the operative period of settlement from January 1, 2022 up to December 31, 2026 or up to the date of superannuation of working employees whichever is earlier, as per the source.
There are around 20,000 permanent port and dock workers employed over 12 major ports.
In addition to this, as per the source, a drafting committee will be constituted by the BWNC, which will meet on Wednesday to prepare a settlement within a period of 10 days. The committee shall include one representative from each federation and management representatives as decided by the IPA Chairman.
The management also assured that the BWNC proceedings will be concluded by the settlement within 15 days, according to the source.
Sources at the India Port and Dock Workers’ Federation (workers) had last week said the major port operators and federations were to sign a five-year wage revision agreement prior to the expiry of the earlier wage pact on December 31, 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.
